Missing
by FictionWriter91
Summary: Sue & Bobby are missing. When Jack finds a note indicating they have run off together, he struggles to believe it. Everyone is stunned. With Tara and the team's help, Jack goes on a man hunt looking for clues as to why his wife and best friend would suddenly disappear while their daughter, Lindsay, is in the hospital in desperate need of a heart transplant with time running out.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so when one is driving across Canada for three days, one's mind starts to wander! I came up with this story, and I don't know how often I will update it, but I couldn't shake it and had to get the first chapter down. I hope you like it!**

* * *

Jack opened his eyes to the harsh light. It all felt like a dream still. He couldn't bear to look at the empty chair beside him because he knew if he did, he would most likely start to cry.

"What's wrong?" his daughter asked. Lindsay. She had no idea yet. She assumed her mother was at home showering and taking a rest. Jack didn't know how to tell her that her mother would not be coming in a couple of hours.

"I'm just worried," he told her, which was true. He was worried about her. They were in the hospital waiting for a donor to come, and Jack knew how bleak that was on it's own.

"Mommy will make it better. She always does," Lindsay said confidently. Jack tried to crack a smile. Right now, he didn't think she could make things better. Not if it was true. He couldn't forget the words. They were permanently trapped in his brain.

 _"This is hard to say, Jack, but we have been in love for a while now. The timing never seemed right, but when is a good time to tell your best friend that you love his wife? We're sorry for leaving like this, especially with Lindsay's condition. We just needed a clean break to start fresh. I'm sorry, mate. Take care."_

Jack still could not believe this was true. It was not in either of their characters to do this, and Sue would never leave while Lindsay was so sick. Then again, maybe it was too much for her, and she had abandoned him here alone to deal with the very probable future of life without Lindsay in it. Jack clenched his jaw tightly. No. She wouldn't. She wasn't like that.

"Hey," Tara said. "Shift change." She smiled weakly.

"Hi," Lindsay said, beaming at her. She loved her parents' friends.

"Can we chat for a second?" Jack asked. Tara nodded, and they stepped out into the hall.

"Anything?" he asked. She shook her head.

"We can't find anything," she replied. "Not any evidence of foul play at least. CSI's are still at your house, though." Jack felt crushed. He had been hoping for something, some small sign that there was something off about this whole thing.

"He wouldn't do this," Tara said adamantly. "He loves you guys. He always said you and Sue were soul mates. He wouldn't harbor love for her and then run off when your daughter, his god daughter, is so sick like this!"

"I know," Jack said, holding out his hand, "but all we have is two missing people and a note written in Bobby's hand. No foul play detected and no sign that it was forced. It doesn't look good." He stopped talking as his throat was starting to constrict. Tara grabbed his arm tightly.

"We will find them," she promised.

"I gotta tell Linds something," Jack said. "She is smart you know."

"Wait until tonight," Tara said. "We might have an answer then. Jack complied. He would hold off breaking his daughters heart as long as he could because her heart was already very fragile. That's why they were here. A rare defect detected almost too late had them on a wait list for someone to die. Jack was struggling with that already before this happened. He watched Tara go in and start chatting with Lindsay. He was going to find Sue. He refused to believe this was true. He was going to prove it.

...

Myles was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. Not that he admitted to anyone, but he cared a lot for Bobby and Sue, and he couldn't believe this was happening, especially to Jack.

"Find anything?" Jack asked, coming in, almost as though Myles had summoned him.

"No," he shook his head. "Nothing." Jack deflated.

"I'm going to the house," he declared. "I know I will find something."

"CSI's aren't finished yet," Myles told him.

"I don't care," Jack replied. He stared down Myles.

"All right," he caved. "But I'm coming with you."

...

Lucy felt sick. Very sick. She wasn't sure why any of this was happening. Most importantly, she couldn't imagine Sue doing something like this. Not her Sue.

"Mummy?" Violet asked, tugging on her shirt. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, sweetheart," Lucy replied, smoothing her daughter's hair. "Go back to coloring." She watched her seven year old do as she was told, picking up a crayon and filling in the figure of Mickey Mouse. Victor was at work, but he worked with the fire department, so he knew all about what had happened via his law enforcement friends. In fact, he had been the one to call and tell her that Sue and Bobby were apparently missing. Her phone rang just then, so she answered.

"Luce? It's Jack," Jack said. "We're heading to the house. Have you heard from Sue at all?"

"No, I haven't," Lucy answered, tearing up. "Jack, I really think something is wrong."

"I know. I feel it too."

...

"It's my house," Jack argued. The CSI looked at him, shaking his head.

"Sorry, but we aren't finished yet. Darren will come give you an update shortly," he said, turning away to go back to work. Myles held in his "I told you so."

"Not finished yet? They're all standing around outside!" Jack cried. "If they weren't finished, they'd still be inside."

"It's their protocol, Jack, you know that," Myles reminded him.  
Jack stared at his house. Their house. From the outside, you would have no idea that something had happened within it, if anything had happened at all.

"She wouldn't do this to me," he said finally. "I know her. She loves me."

"I agree with you, Jack," Myles said, putting his hand on Jack's shoulder. "She loves you more than I've known anyone to love someone." Jack didn't respond. All he could think about was the day she confessed her feelings to him.

 **2004**

"I'm going to miss you. Personally. A lot. I just wanted you to know that," Jack finished. He felt like an idiot standing there rambling on like that. Sue was watching him, the corners of her mouth tilted up in that way of hers. He felt very nervous.

"Oh perfect!" Myles said, coming and interrupting. Jack felt annoyed suddenly. "I've got this fraud case I want to assign to you, and I wondered if you could do an interview with a woman from Alexandria next Tuesday. She said she could meet you at 11."

"I'll have to get Bobby to help me," Jack said, swallowing hard. "Sue isn't going to be here. She'll be at her new job." Myles looked back and forth between Jack and Sue.

"Did you change your mind again?" he asked Sue. Jack turned to look at her. Sue cleared her throat.

"No, I didn't," she answered.

"Did you what?" Jack asked, confused. Myles sighed loudly and walked into the bull pen. Jack followed Sue's gaze as she looked into the room.

 **Goodbye/Welcome Back Sue.**

Jack felt his mouth open in surprise. Then he looked at her, a grin forming.

"I decided to stay," she said, smiling. Everyone cheered as they came in. Jack was very taken aback.

"I guess Lucy got here early and told everyone except you," Sue said. She felt it was done on purpose, and by the smirks on Tara and Lucy's face, she knew she was right.

"There are more important things than career advancement," she said once she realized Jack was too surprised to speak. "And most of them are standing in this room. Now, what was it you were saying in the hallway?" Jack gave a small laugh.

"Just, welcome back," he said, smiling. He bent down to pet Levi. "You too, buddy." He didn't know what else to say, so he went over to the group to get a donut. He felt slightly embarrassed that she knew she was staying and he was almost crying telling her he was going to miss her. After about an hour of conversing with everyone, Sue gestured for him to join her in another room.

"I'm sorry Lucy didn't tell you," she said once the door was closed.

"It's okay. That would be something Lucy would do," Jack said, feeling his face flush. Sue took his hand then, and he felt his heart start to race.

"There's really one significant reason I decided to stay," she said, rubbing his hand with her thumb. Jack could hardly catch his breath.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice catching.

"I'm in love with you," she replied, watching him carefully. It was like the world stopped suddenly. He was hearing the words he'd been dying to hear for so long.

"Oh, Sue," he said, touching her face softly. "I'm in love with you too." She smiled, and he pulled her in to kiss her. It was the most amazing kiss of his life.

 **Present-2017**

Tara sat watching Lindsay. She felt her heart break for this ten year old girl. She had no idea what was happening around her. Tara wished she could give her her own heart. This waiting game was absolutely torture.

"Hey," Jack said, coming in. Tara looked up at him, seeing he looked worse than before.

"Hi," she said. "Find anything?"

"No," he shook his head. "Tara, can I talk to Lindsay?"

"Yea, sure," Tara said, getting up. Lindsay watched them carefully, sensing something was up. "I'll be out here if you need me." Tara went into the hall. She tried not to think about Bobby. She couldn't believe he would do something like this. It was not something he would do. That and she had been so sure that he potentially had feelings for her, not that they ever discussed it. For the last five years they had been dancing around flirting and teasing one another, but neither of them were brave enough to admit how they felt towards one another. It broke her inside to think that all along he hadn't meant any of it. She refused to believe it. They were going to find them. Something bad had happened, she was sure of it, and no one was going to rest until they were found.

* * *

 **Did they? Didn't they? You'll just have to wait and see! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow! I am surprised at all the hits this story got! Thank you! I'm so grateful :) Here is another chapter so as not to leave you hanging. Please know that I am not a doctor, so I'm doing the best I can with research on the whole heart transplant piece. Happy reading!**

* * *

"What's wrong?" Lindsay asked, seeing Jack standing there and looking awful.

"I gotta tell you something, and I don't know how to tell you," Jack said truthfully.

"My heart can take it, Daddy," she reassured him. Jack swallowed hard. He wasn't so sure about that.

"Your mother is missing."

Lindsay immediately felt panic swell up, and her heart started to race, which made her panic even more. She regulated her breathing, trying to calm her heart down. Her restrictive cardiomyopathy made it difficult for her heart to get enough blood, and having it run everywhere else didn't help at all.

"What do you mean, missing?" she asked. Jack pondered on how to answer this. _Well_ , he thought, _supposedly your Uncle Bobby stole her away from me..._ He didn't believe it for a second. He just couldn't.

"I think something has happened to her," Jack continued slowly. "We are trying to find out more information, but at this time, there are no clues." He hated being so clinical and curt with his daughter. He knew if he got emotional, she would too, and that wasn't going to help her right now. He also didn't want to mention that her godfather was missing too. That would definitely make her too upset.

"I want to help," Lindsay said immediately. "I'm good at finding clues."

"Yes, yes you are," Jack agreed, nodding. "But you can't. You can't even leave the hospital right now, Linds. I'm sorry." She hung her head, fighting the tears.

"You have to find her," she said, her voice small.

"I know, baby," he said, going over to her and pulling her tightly against him. "I know. I will."

...

"Hi," Lucy said, opening the door and finding Tara on her step. "What brings you here?" Violet was peeking around the corner at them, smiling. She loved Tara.

"I can't make any of this make sense," Tara said, sighing roughly. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Lucy agreed, moving aside to let her in. Violet immediately ran to get her stuffies.

"Jack is so torn up," Tara said, sitting down. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Me either," Lucy nodded. "This so is not Bobby or Sue to do this."

"No, it's not, and that really scares me," Tara said. "I'm looking into their cases."

"You think it's case related?"

"It has to be. Who else would kidnap them?" Tara asked. She looked exhausted. Hours of looking through paperwork would do that to you.

"Did you find anything?"

"Not really," Tara shook her head. "None of this is making sense. I don't know who would do this. None of their recent cases or any from the past two years were volatile in nature."

"Maybe it's a past case," Lucy suggested.

"I'm going to start digging," Tara replied. "Tomorrow. First thing." She looked at the clock. They both knew she'd be heading back to the office after this conversation.

"Teddy says hi," Violet said, showing Tara her teddy.

"Hi, Teddy," Tara said, smiling.

"He says you look sad," Violet went on.

"Oh, I'm just tired," Tara lied. How she wished a Teddy could make it all better and go away.

"How about you go get ready for bed, hmm?" Lucy asked Violet. "Daddy will be home soon."

"How is Victor?" Tara asked after Violet reluctantly agreed and went off to brush her teeth.

"He's good. I don't get to see him much. I never knew how many fires there were around here," Lucy said, smiling half heartedly.

"I'll leave so you can spend some time with him," Tara said, standing.

"It's okay. This is much more important," Lucy argued.

"We will find them," Tara said, more to herself than to Lucy. "I promise."

...

Lindsay sat alone while her father paced the hallway on the phone. She knew he was working. She felt restless. She wanted to help. Her mother wouldn't just abandon them. Not now, not like this. Something was wrong. She reached for her journal, pulling out the small note her mother had hid in there for her to find.

 _I'm always with you. I love you. We will get through this together. God knows your father and I can't live without you. Rest and get well. You are our little miracle, and we will fight to the end to save you. Love Mom._

Lindsay stared at it for a while before folding it up and putting it back. No, her mother wouldn't leave her on purpose. She craned her neck to see her father now standing still on the phone. Her father would find her.

...

Myles stirred his coffee restlessly. He stared at all the papers on his desk. He had decided to pick up where Tara had left off to help her. It was all so overwhelming. He set down his stir stick and stared at his coffee. It just didn't seem right to have this simple pleasure when Bobby and Sue were missing and possibly in trouble. No, they were in trouble. Myles refused to think of it in any other way. He knew Bobby was an antagonist to him most, well all, of the time, but he'd never do something so hurtful to Jack. Sue wouldn't either. Something didn't make any sense. He grabbed his coat suddenly, abandoning his coffee and heading back over to Jack and Sue's home. Bobby would have left him some kind of clue, big or small, and he was going to find it.

 **2006**

"I'm pregnant," Sue said, standing there in front of Jack at his desk in their home office. His pen paused, and his breath froze. He looked up at her, unsure of what he had just heard.

"Say that again?" he asked. Was she? Could she be? They'd been married a year and a half, and a baby was a little too soon for Jack's taste, but it was their baby, and he wanted it very much.

"I'm going to have a baby," Sue said, signing at the same time to make sure he got it this time. He stood up and pulled her into a tight hug. Then he started spinning her around, making her laugh. They both were excited. It was an adventure of a lifetime, and they were going to enjoy every second of it.

 **Present-2017**

Jack watched Lindsay sleep. She was very pale, and she was always tired. He shifted in his chair. When Sue had told him she was pregnant all those years ago, he had no idea that he'd be sitting here watching his daughter get sicker and sicker until possibly dying. That just wasn't on the agenda. You shouldn't outlive your children.

"Jack?" D's voice said, bringing him back to the room. He twisted to see D.

"Yea?"

"We found something."

...

Tara stared at the paperwork. It was just too much. She yanked her hand through her hair, forcing herself to be awake. She had to do this. Her mind couldn't help but wandering back to when she first realized she had feelings for Bobby. He had been dating another woman since they had decided to stay friends after their whole kiss fiasco and he'd admitted that he loved Darcy. Stanley had been dating her anyway, and she couldn't figure out why seeing Bobby laughing with some other woman was bothering her so much. Bobby and Emily had dated for five years. Bobby had proposed, and Emily had turned him down flat. He had taken it hard, and Tara had found him standing in a pool hall deciding whether or not he wanted to throw it all away. She had been single then, Stanley having been long gone. For the next five years, she had been Bobby's support and confidant. Whether or not he really had feelings back for her, she didn't know. They had never discussed it. She regretted it now. He had always teased her about dating, but she couldn't bring herself to, so she made up dates for him to ridicule, and it had been fun. Now, she wished she had womaned up and told him. Maybe this wouldn't have happened. Her phone rang.

"Tara. Myles," Myles said. "Get over here. We found something."

 **Elsewhere**

Sue opened her eyes to darkness. Her mind flashed to what happened, and it felt fuzzy. She felt something against her leg, and she screamed. A hand grabbed her wrist and started tracing her palm. She stopped screaming enough to feel what was being traced.

 **B.**

The roughness of the road made her miss the rest of it.

"Bobby?" she said, fearful.

 **Yes.**

"Where are we?" she asked. She waited as he finger spelled some more.

 **Truck.**

They hit another hard bump as he finished, and her head banged onto the low roof. She put out her hands to feel the space above her. It was very narrow. Her back felt as though she was lying on ridges. If she had to guess, she'd say they were in a truck bed under a tunnel cover. She felt panicky. Where were they going? How were they going to get out of this alive?

"I'm scared," she said out loud. She felt more tracing.

 **Me too.**

...

Bobby did his best to regulate his breathing. Sue's scream hadn't helped, but he was glad to have gotten her to calm down. He needed to figure out a plan and fast. He knew they were on their way to their execution. He knew why. He hated that he had to leave that letter for Jack. That was some twisted idea this monster had come up with, and now they were on their way to God knows where to be capped off. Monster's orders. Well, Bobby wasn't about to let that happen. His job was to take down monsters, and this one wasn't going to get away with it. He patted Sue's hand every so often for reassurance. He knew she was panicking very badly and probably thinking about Jack and Lindsay. She had no idea that he had been forced to leave that letter. She had no idea that her husband thought she had run off with Bobby. He hoped his best friend knew him better than that. He hoped the team would know them both better than that. He had left a very small clue, and he prayed to God that someone would find it and know what happened. It was the only thing that was going to save them.

* * *

 **You didn't actually think I would do that to you guys, did ya? Hehe I'm not that mean! Thanks for reading XD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews! Here's another chapter for y'all :)**

* * *

Myles stared. It was so easy to miss and yet so easy to find. He examined the bloody wad of spit on the ground tucked under a plant leaf. It was going to either be Bobby's, Sue's, or the assailant's, because Myles knew for certain that Bobby would not run off with Sue.

"What is it?" Jack asked, rushing up to him. Myles pointed. Jack squinted at it.

"Blood," he breathed.

"Yea. I think it's going to clear some things up for us," Myles said. Jack felt his heart race. If there was blood, then it wasn't an amicable thing that happened here. It was forced. He felt immense relief. His friend hadn't betrayed him after all. Neither had his wife.

"I'm here!" Tara shouted, bursting from her car and hurrying over to them. "What did you find?!"

"Blood," Jack pointed.

"Oh my God," Tara gasped. "Then that means...?"

"Yea. This wasn't something they planned."

"I'll get the note looked at right away for evidence," Tara said, turning right back around and running back to her car. She knew their writing analyst was the best. He'd tell her if Bobby's note was under duress. At least, she hoped he could.

...

Lucy fiddled with her tea bag. She was sitting at the kitchen table, listening to Victor talk of the latest fire he put out.

"Any word on your friends?" he asked finally, leaning into her.

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"It is what it is. Jack and the team are on it."

"Do you wish you still worked with them?" Victor asked. This made her look up at him.

"I wish I could help them solve this, but no, I am glad I decided to stay home and raise Violet. I am happy with our life." Sometimes Lucy felt like he was always testing her, asking her if she was happy. It was like he doubted her happiness with him.

"Okay," he nodded slowly.

"I'm not lying," Lucy said forcefully.

"I know," he said, getting up. He patted her shoulder as he walked by. Lucy knew he didn't believe her. She loved Victor, but his low self-esteem and constant negativeness about their life was starting to get to her. She wished he would go seek help, but he was stubborn. He said counselling was for wusses. Well, that made Lucy a complete wuss then. She didn't care. Her phone lit up, showing that Myles was calling. She slid it to voicemail, knowing that Victor would accuse her of cheating on him again. How many times did she have to tell Myles not to call her when her husband was home? It didn't help.

...

Myles frowned. Why didn't Lucy answer? Did she not want an update? He put his phone back into his back pocket. Victor must be home. Myles didn't like the guy. He never had. He had shown up one day like a knight in shining armor, and then he treated Lucy like crap. The only thing is, Lucy didn't see him treating her like crap, but Myles did.

"She didn't answer?" Jack asked.

"No," Myles replied.

"Hmm." Jack didn't say anything else. It wasn't his business. They watched the CSIs bag up the blood wad as best as they could. They were going to analyze it. Myles wanted to gloat that they had missed it, but he knew better than to upset the analysts. It didn't get you any faster results.

"I gotta go back to Lindsay," Jack said, looking at his watch. "Please call me with those results ASAP."

"Will do," Myles nodded. He clapped Jack's shoulder as he passed.

"Don't read into the Lucy thing too much," Jack called back as he walked away. He knew Myles would be thinking about the first time Lucy brought Victor around, just like he was.

 **2006**

"So, when do you want to tell the team?" Jack asked Sue. They were getting ready to go to work, and it had been over a month since she learned she was pregnant.

"I think we could tell them today," Sue smiled.

"Yea?" Jack asked, his eyes lighting up. He'd been dying to tell everyone since the first day, but he knew they wanted to make sure the little one was going to make it. After all, they had been warned Sue could miscarry, that being pregnant was a risk for her. It had been a scary thing to find out, but Sue seemed to be doing all right. The bad news of it all was that they had been told to not have another baby after this. Jack felt sad, but he was ecstatic that he was even going to be a father still. So long as things went well.

"Yea," she nodded. "We'll need all the support we can get if something goes wrong."

"Nothing is going to go wrong," Jack said, squeezing her hand in his.

"We don't know that..."

"I do know that. We are going to have this baby, and he or she is going to be perfectly healthy."

"Don't jinx it, Jack!"

"I'm not! I'm being positive. Be positive with me. It feels good," Jack grinned. She twisted her face into a smile.

"All right. Just the team, though," Sue warned. "We're only telling the team."

"Got it," Jack nodded.

...

"I have news!" Lucy cried as she swept into the bullpen. Tara signaled to Sue that Lucy was there, and she turned. The boys were out getting coffee. They were in the middle of a case.

"What's the news?" Tara asked.

"I just met the most wonderful man on Earth!" Lucy crowed.

"Oh? Do tell," Sue urged. Lucy sat on the edge of Sue's desk while Tara stood next to her.

"His name is Victor. He was saving a boy trapped in a tree when I passed by. He saw me, and he chased me down after because he just had to meet me," Lucy raved. "He's so handsome! And sweet. He wants to go on a date!"

"That's brilliant!" Tara gushed. "Oh, you lucky thing!" She hadn't told them that Stanley had broken up with her three months ago. She didn't want to hear the sympathy. It had been mutual. That and Stanley had his eye on someone else, which Tara was fine with. Things between them had been drying up anyway.

"When are you going?" Sue asked.

"Tomorrow night. We're going out to dinner and a movie. So cute! Hey! Tara, we could double date sometime!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Oh, about that..." Tara trailed off. Well, it was now or never she guessed. Everything always came out eventually.

"What? What happened?" Lucy asked, growing concerned.

"Stanley and I broke up," Tara answered.

"What?!"

"No big deal. It wasn't meant to be," Tara dismissed.

"But...but...then that means..." Lucy trailed off.

"He's dating Emily," Tara said quickly. "And besides, I don't have feelings for Bobby anyway."

"You lie," Lucy said.

"I have some news myself," Sue cut in so as to save Tara from further Lucyness.

"Oh, really?"

"Hey, we promised together," Jack said, coming back in with Myles, Bobby, and D in tow. Sue saw him speak.

"Sorry. I got excited," she said.

"What? What's the news? Wait!" Lucy gasped. "Are you two...?"

"We're having a baby," Sue nodded. Jack held her hand tightly.

"Woohoo!" Bobby whooped.

"Congratulations!" Tara cried.

"Right on, you guys," D smiled.

"That's fantastic news," Myles chimed in.

"I'M SO EXCITED!" Lucy practically screamed. She hugged Sue tightly. "Oh my gosh! You're having a baby!"

"You're gonna name him Bobby, right?" Bobby asked, leaning into Jack.

"No, he's gonna name him Myles Leland the 4th," Myles cut in.

"Why would I do that?" Jack asked. "Have your own kids."

"I think Myles is admitting that that's not going to happen," D smirked.

"What's wrong with Tara? It's a good, solid name," Tara argued, getting in on the name game.

"Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack said, holding up his hands. "The baby is not getting any of your names."

"What?!" they all cried, disappointed.

"Not even a middle name?" Bobby asked, pretending to pout.

"We'll consider that, but that's it," Jack answered. Sue was smiling as they started to bicker whose name should be the middle name.

"This could be fun," Sue said to Jack.

"How so?"

"Well, think about it. We can get them to do what we want if we say we'll use their name," Sue teased, her eyes twinkling.

"I knew I married you for a good reason," Jack laughed. He kissed her. The others didn't notice this exchange. They were too busy trying to convince one another why their name was more special than the others'.

...

"Guys, this is Victor," Lucy said, beaming. She was holding his hand. He waved.

"Hello," he said. He looked around at all of them. Myles already didn't like the look of him. He didn't know why.

"Hi," Jack said, going to shake his hand.

"Taking care of our girl, eh mate?" Bobby asked.

"Of course," Victor grinned. He pulled her into him almost possessively.

"She's very special," Myles threw in. Victor looked at him.

"I know," he said, a tad aggressive.

"Oh, stop," Lucy giggled. "He's only teasing."

"Right," Victor said, his face clearing. It had been quick, but Jack saw the dark look. He didn't like it.

"We're going out for lunch, but I just wanted you all to meet the man of my dreams," Lucy gushed. Victor pecked her on the lips at this.

"Have fun," Myles muttered. He went back to his paperwork. Jack raised a brow at him. Was he jealous?

"Great to meet you!" Tara chirped. "Come back again!"

"Will do," Victor nodded. They walked out together.

"He seemed nice," Sue said to Jack.

"Yea...nice," Jack nodded. He had a strange feeling about Victor. He just didn't know what it was or why he had it.

 **Present-2017**

"What did they find?" Lindsay asked Jack when he returned.

"Some DNA evidence," Jack answered. He didn't want to say blood. He didn't want to scare her.

"Is it Mom's?"

"We don't know yet. I'm waiting for the report to get back."

"I miss her."

"I miss her too, baby."

"I don't feel good."

"What do you mean?" he asked, sitting up straight, looking at her.

"I just feel so tired, and my heart hurts."

"Do you need me to call for the doctor?"

"I don't think so."

"I'm going to anyway," Jack said. He stood to go out of the room when he saw something come towards him in the hall. Jack stared. The dog was beyond dirty and looked as though it had been in a few fights, but he had no doubt in his mind that this was Levi trotting down the hall.

"Levi?" he breathed. Levi came over immediately, whining. "Levi!" He bent down and pulled the dog into his arms, crying a little. If Levi was here, then that means something did happen to Sue and Bobby. Levi would not be here if they had run away together. This was way better than blood evidence.

"Dad?" Lindsay called from behind him. "What's going on?"

"It's Levi," he said, moving to show her. She gasped.

"Is he okay? He looks hurt," she said, her voice sounding teary.

"I'll go take him to get fixed up," Jack promised. Levi nosed his hand. Jack wondered how this dog had managed to find them here, how he got past people in the hospital. Most importantly, where had he come from?

...

Bobby felt them stop. This was it. He angled himself near the tailgate. He had one shot at this.

"Bobby?"

He twisted, but he was too far away to write on her hand.

"Please save us."

"You're damn right I will," he replied, even though she couldn't hear him. He heard the door of the truck open and footsteps coming around. One shot. Just one. He had to make it count.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. I'm going to post a warning for the very first paragraph for details.**

* * *

As soon as the tailgate opened, Bobby launched himself at the guy standing there. Sue crawled to the opening and watched, horrified. There was only one man, and Bobby now had him in a headlock, squeezing tightly.

"Bobby!" she shouted. "Don't kill him!" She didn't want Bobby to be a murderer, but then again, this man was going to murder them. She felt confused. Bobby acted like he didn't hear her, and his face was twisted in concentration. The man kicked out a few times, catching Bobby's leg and making him grunt, but he didn't let go. Eventually, the man went limp, and Bobby let him drop to the ground. He came over and helped Sue out.

"Is he...?" she started. He held up his hand.

"Get in the truck," he said. Sue looked around them. It was a big open field. She had no idea where they were.

"But..."

"Get in the truck, Sue," he ordered. "They'll know something's gone wrong when he doesn't report back." Sue knew he was right. She went around to the passenger side and pulled herself in. When Bobby didn't get in right away, she looked out the window and saw him throwing up. She looked away, giving him privacy. That answered her question at least. Bobby picked up the man's gun before he got in the driver's seat, hands trembling. He felt sick. It was one thing to shoot someone in self defense. It was another to choke someone to death. He felt like he was going to be sick again.

"Bobby?" Sue prompted. He looked at her. "You did what you had to do."

"I know," he replied. He threw the truck in gear. "But now they're gonna be after us even more."

"So let's get them first," she said firmly.

"I'm on it," he replied.

….

"Come on, Stewart," Tara urged.

"I can't do this with you rushing me," Stewart said, wiping the beads of sweat from his brow. He had forgotten his bandana today. His golden brown hair was soaked, and he felt anxious. This was a really important analysis, and he didn't want to screw it up. Tara sitting behind him breathing down his neck didn't help either.

"Pretend I'm not here," Tara insisted.

"Believe me, I'm trying."

Tara stopped talking then, realizing she was stressing him out. After about ten minutes, his back straightened right out. She dared to be hopeful.

"It's his writing all right," Stewart said, comparing the note to other things Bobby had written in the past.

"Is it forced?"

"It's definitely not relaxed," Stewart confirmed. "See here how his loops are loose? They're a little tighter here, like he was gripping the pen hard."

"You can tell that?"

"I'm not called the best for nothing," Stewart scoffed. "This note was written in a hurry and by a hand that was tense. I would conclude it was written under duress."

"You're amazing!" Tara crowed, rushing off to deliver the news to the team.

"Just doing my job," Stewart muttered after she was gone.

….

Jack brought Levi to the CSI's. They thought he was joking at first.

"What are we to do with a dog?" the one asked.

"He has evidence all over him," Jack argued. "It might show where they dropped him off and give us an idea of where they were heading."

"He's right," another said. "We'll take him." Jack felt slightly irritated at their initial response, but he let it go. Levi whimpered and howled when he went to leave, so he knelt down to the dog's level.

"You're all right. I'll be back soon. You gotta help find Sue," he told the dog. Levi bowed his head as though he understood. He was led away while Jack stood to leave. His phone rang, and he answered Tara's call.

"Whaddya got?" he asked.

"The note was forced. Stewart said Bobby was under duress while writing it. I'm still going through old cases and trying to find out if someone has a grudge."

"Great. Keep doing that, Tara. I am going to check on Lindsay. She wasn't feeling well," Jack said. "By the way, Levi showed up."

"What?!"

"Yea. At the hospital. I took him to CSI, and they're gonna figure out where he was dropped off. Might give us a location."

"That's brilliant. We're going to find them," Tara said, getting excited.

"That's what I'm shooting for," Jack told her before hanging up. He tried to get the image of Levi frantic to stay with him out of his mind.

….

Lucy crept out to the street once Victor was sleeping. He went to bed early as he had been exhausted from his long day. Violet was down as well for the night. Myles had sent her a text about Sue and Bobby, so she agreed to meet him outside. She found him a block down from her house.

"This is ridiculous, Lucy," he started once he saw her. "Your friends are missing, and you have to act like a spy in order to talk to me about it?"

"He just gets jealous. It saves having a fight later," Lucy explained.

"How is that a healthy relationship?"

"Myles, get to the point. What's been happening?"

"Bobby left blood at the scene and the note was deemed forced. It proves that they did not simply run off to be together. Something happened to them."

"Oh gosh," Lucy said, covering her mouth. She was very glad it wasn't the first conclusion, but she didn't like the second one any better.

"Tara and I are going through old files together," Myles told her. "We'll find out who did this."

"I know you will," Lucy nodded. "I know you will."

 **2007**

"Jack?" Sue said, nudging him. He sat up and turned the light on. He saw her face immediately.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I think I'm in labor."

Jack shot out of bed like he'd been electrocuted.

"Okay," he said, rushing to the dresser. "Okay, okay, okay. We got this."

"Jack."

"I'll grab the baby seat and stuff. You pack your clothes," he instructed, still rushing around.

"Jack..."

"We have fifteen minutes in the car to the hospital. I gotta call your parents...your brothers. I gotta call my family. Lucy will want to know first..." Jack rambled.

"Jack!"

"Yea?" he said, turning to face her finally.

"Everything is packed and ready. You don't need to call anyone yet, and I need you to calm down," Sue ordered. Jack heaved out a big breath.

"Okay," he agreed. "I can calm down." Sue managed to get out of the bed and changed throughout the contractions. Once they were ready, Jack helped her into the SUV.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Just nervous."

"You'll do wonderful," he told her, kissing her. He got into the driver's seat and turned his red light on.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't really feel like delivering a baby in the car," he told her. "This way we can go through red lights."

"Jack," Sue laughed. "That's ridiculous." He ignored her and set off.

….

"There he is," Bobby crowed, seeing Jack come out with a small bundle of pink in his arms. He was grinning ear to ear.

"Oh she's so tiny!" Tara said, reaching to touch the baby's toes.

"Reminds me of the first time I became a father," D said, smiling. Myles was speechless for once. He simply observed. Lucy and Victor were smiling at each other too, which was making Myles annoyed.

"Maybe one day this will be us," Lucy said, touching Victor's hand gently.

"I think so," Victor agreed, smiling.

"I got a hold of everyone on the list you gave me," Bobby said. "Sue's parents will be here in a day or two. Yours will come after a week."

"Thanks, man," Jack said.

"So, what is her name?" Tara asked.

"I hope you didn't go with Bobby," Bobby said, wincing.

"Everyone, meet Lindsay Lucy Tara Hudson," Jack said, grinning. Both Tara and Lucy gasped.

"You picked our names!" Tara squealed.

"You two are the closest thing to sisters that Sue has," Jack explained. "It seemed right." Lucy started to cry then, and both her and Tara went to see Sue in the room.

"Good job, mate," Bobby said to Jack. "You're now a father."

"Yes. Yes, I am," Jack said, looking down at his little girl. Nothing was ever going to happen to her on his watch.

 **Present-2017**

Jack stood at his daughter's bedside, watching her sleep. He couldn't believe that ten years ago he stood in this hospital holding her as an infant and promising he'd never let her get hurt. He had failed her.

"Mr. Hudson?" a nurse said quietly, getting his attention.

"Yea?"

"The doctor has an update for you," she said. She gestured for him to come out into the hallway where Dr. Chang was waiting.

"Hello, Jack," Dr. Chang said grimly.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

"Your daughter's heart is getting very weak. Jack, we need to transplant soon or it's too late."

"Is there a heart for her?" Jack asked. Dr. Chang and the nurse exchanged glances.

"No. Unfortunately, there hasn't been anything come up," Dr. Chang sighed.

"Then how are we supposed to save her?" Jack demanded. The nurse choked up then and excused herself.

"Jack..."

"Are you telling me that my daughter is going to die soon?"

"It's...it's not looking good, Jack."

"She can't die. My wife is missing..." Jack trailed off, biting his fist. Dr. Chang bowed his head.

"I heard about that. I'm so very sorry. Jack, you need to start thinking about arrangements."

"No. I'm not doing that. Lindsay is not going to die," Jack said firmly.

"I will put out another memo to see if there's a heart somewhere, anywhere," Dr. Chang said. "But you must prepare yourself."

Dr. Chang walked away then, and Jack completely broke down right there in the hallway.

….

Sue was looking out the window as they drove along. It was dark now, and she wondered what was going to happen to them.

"I don't understand why we can't just call them," Sue said again.

"Because. Jack and the team need to believe we are missing. They need to in order for the bad guys to believe we haven't contacted them," Bobby explained again.

"But how do we get out of this mess?"

"I'm thinking," Bobby said. He pulled over to an empty side street save for one car.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"This truck is probably tracked. We need to change it up," Bobby told her.

"We can't steal someone's car!"

"I will pay them back," Bobby promised. He got out, making Sue reluctantly follow. Bobby looked around before opening the car door.

"It wasn't locked?" Sue asked, surprised.

"Sometimes people aren't very smart," Bobby said. He hotwired the car, and they took off. He was still thinking about what to do. He knew who was trying to kill them. He needed to figure out how to get them out of this situation. He wished he had Jack's help. He hoped his friend had found out the truth by now. He hoped Lindsay was still alive. He'd never forgive himself if that little girl died while Sue wasn't there.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack was pacing. Lindsay was dying. The doctor had pretty much told him that. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to tell her. He wondered if she already knew. He banged his fist on the concrete wall. Life was certainly not fair right now. He went back to Lindsay's room, but she was sleeping, and he didn't want to wake her. Instead, he stood watching her chest rise and fall. He imagined her heart getting weaker and weaker until it stopped working at all. He felt his chest constrict and his vision go blurry. She couldn't die. He couldn't lose both Sue and Lindsay.

"Jack?" Tara's voice said, making him turn.

"Yea?"

"I think I found something in one of Bobby's files," she explained. "I need you to look at it." She handed him the file, and he flipped it open.

"Human trafficking?" he asked, surprised, looking at her. "But he had no leads on this case..."

"I'm wondering if he did," Tara said. "I am starting to think he finally got one, and it's led to...this."

"Makes sense why they disappeared. But why Sue? She wasn't on this case," Jack said, puzzled.

"Wrong place at the wrong time? I don't know," Tara admitted. "I'm looking into it further."

"Is there a snitch?" Jack asked, looking through the file further.

"Yea."

"Who is it?"

Tara sighed loudly.

"Howie."

...

Bobby propped his head with his hand as he drove. Sue had fallen asleep. He left the radio off, needing the silence. He calculated that they had been heading for the Mexican border when the driver chickened out before reaching the border crossing and decided to kill them in the States. That put them in Texas. They had almost 21 hours of driving to get back to DC. Whatever they had been given, it was potent enough to knock them out for that long. Bobby worked hard to keep his eyes open. His stomach was growling too. He pulled to the side of the road, wondering how to get food and sleep without someone alerting the bad guys. He looked in the backseat and found an assortment of hats and wigs. He frowned. Had he borrowed a clown car? He sifted through it. It would certainly help keep them under cover he guessed. He found a cowboy hat with a wig of black hair sewn to it. He put it on his head, hoping it was semi clean.

"What are you doing?" Sue asked, waking to find Bobby looking ridiculous.

"Camouflage," he answered. "It'll help us be in public."

"I like the way you think," she said, leaning to look at the others. "Is there anything for me?"

"Well," Bobby said, pulling out a Pippi Longstocking type wig. "There's this."

"Oh my," Sue said, covering her mouth. Bobby set it down and rooted around some more.

"Ah, this is better," he said, showing her a wig that looked like Cher's hairdo.

"Better than pigtails," Sue agreed, taking it. Bobby bit down his chuckle as she put it on and adjusted it. At least they could laugh at something while in this mess. He grew serious again.

"I'm going to take a detour on our way home," he said. "We're gonna need help that's not involved with the FBI."

"Who do you suggest?" Sue asked.

"My Dad," he answered. He knew not many people knew about his biological father, and he needed all the help he could get. Working with a criminal was the best way he was going to beat a criminal.

"Where is he?"

"He's in Jackson, Mississippi," Bobby answered. "Living off the grid."

"You trust him?"

"Right now, yes I do," he answered. She nodded. He pulled back onto the road. It was the best hope they had right now.

...

Lucy awoke the next morning to find Victor already gone. He'd left her a note saying he had gotten called in to work earlier and didn't want to wake her. He promised a ravishing supper that he was going to prepare when he got home. Lucy smiled. The man certainly could cook. She padded to the kitchen to make some coffee. Being a stay home mom had its perks, and Lucy loved being able to enjoy coffee without rushing around.

"Hi, Mommy," Violet said, poking her head up from the couch.

"Oh! You're up," Lucy said, surprised.

"I couldn't sleep. Daddy woke me up when he left. He was noisy," Violet explained. "I was reading."

"Good girl," Lucy said. She felt slightly annoyed that Victor had woken Violet to start with. Didn't he have any consideration for the rest of the household when he stomped around getting ready for work? She closed her eyes, breathing in and then out. He did the best he could, and he was their provider. Violet read instead of watching television, and she seemed happy. All was well. Lucy was grateful for her therapist's coping skills. They helped her a lot. She looked at her phone then and saw Tara's text message. She had a possible lead from a case Bobby was working on. Lucy felt hopeful. Then she saw the message that said Lindsay was very ill, and she felt scared. She knew she needed to visit, so she scrolled through her phone to see who could watch Violet for her.

"When can I see Lindsay?" Violet asked on cue. Lucy looked at her.

"You want to see her?"

"Yea. She's my friend," Violet nodded. Lucy put her phone down. Maybe seeing Violet would cheer Lindsay up.

"Okay. We'll go this afternoon," Lucy promised. Violet pumped her fist, making Lucy chuckle. She certainly was an excitable seven year old.

...

"You sure he's around here?" Jack asked Myles. They were on the hunt for Howie to find information and had gone to Howie's favorite coffeehouse, but he wasn't showing up.

"It's his hangout," Myles mused. "He's always here. His name is practically on the wall as star customer of every single day."

"You don't think..." Jack trailed off. They looked at each other.

"No," Myles shook his head. "We would have heard by now."

"You sure about that?"

"What can I get you?" the waitress asked. Her name was Debra.

"Have you seen Howie?" Jack countered.

"Howie? Not for three days, which is really strange," Debra mused. "He's always here."

"Oh no," Myles groaned.

"Thanks, Debra," Jack said. He moved to the door with Myles on his heels. If Howie wasn't here, then something was definitely wrong.

...

 **2010**

"Oh my God. She's adorable," Howie beamed, watching Lindsay totter on her feet, her golden hair flying in the wind. She was coming up three years old. Jack and Sue were at the neighborhood park when Howie had shown up. He doted on Lindsay worse than Bobby, Myles, or D did.

"She definitely is," Sue agreed. Levi was resting at her feet. He was coming up 9 years old, and Sue knew that he wasn't up for running around as much anymore, but he did his best. Lindsay had already tuckered him out today.

"I hope you don't mind, but I got her this bracelet," Howie said.

"Got?" Jack asked, his underlying meaning clear.

"I bought it," Howie defended himself. He showed them.

"Wow. It's beautiful," Sue said, looking at it. It was gold with a pattern of intertwining vines and roses on it.

"I had it engraved too," Howie said excitedly. He showed them.

"'Beautiful Princess. Love Uncle Howie,'" Jack read.

"It's lovely, Howie," Sue said, touching Howie's hand. He beamed.

"Pretty," Lindsay said, trying to take it from Howie's hand.

"When you're older," Howie told her. "It's a little big right now."

"You shouldn't have," Jack said, feeling a little jealous. He should have thought to get her something like that. Sue nudged him, knowing he was feeling that way without even looking at him.

"It's my pleasure," Howie grinned. "That way she'll never forget me."

"I doubt she ever will," Jack told him.

"I have to go," Sue said. "Lucy texted me. She's not feeling well and thinks she's in labor."

"Go," Jack instructed. "I've got Linds."

"Thanks," Sue said, kissing his cheek. "And thanks again, Howie."

"You're welcome. Say hi to Lucy for me," Howie said. When she was gone, he turned to Jack. "I think I have a case for you..."

"You'll have to give it to Bobby," Jack said. "I'm downsizing on cases right now."

"All right. I'll give him a call," Howie agreed. He bent down to play with Lindsay as Jack watched. Lindsay's giggles erupted into the air, and Jack couldn't help but think that life couldn't get better than this.

...

 **Present-2017**

Lindsay looked down at her bracelet from her adopted Uncle Howie. She rarely took it off. Her friends envied it too. She wished he was there to make some joke or help her feel better. He hadn't stopped by in a few days, and she couldn't help but feel worried. She made a note to talk to her father about it when he returned.

"Hey, Lindsay," Lucy said, coming in. "Look who I brought."

"Violet!" Lindsay cried, happy to see her younger friend. Violet rushed over to her.

"Careful, sweetie," Lucy warned.

"It's okay. She can come up," Lindsay said as Violet hauled herself up onto the bed with her. She loved Violet, who was always dressed in bright colors with some kind of accessory that had a rainbow on it. Her curly black hair was loose today. Lindsay loved how thick Violet's hair was. Her own elbow length blonde hair was limp most of the time.

"How are you feeling?" Lucy asked.

"Tired, but okay," Lindsay lied. She didn't want her adopted aunt to worry.

"That's good," Lucy said, sitting down beside the bed. "Where's your Dad?"

"He's with Uncle Myles looking for clues," Lindsay sighed. "I want to help."

"I know you do, honey, but it's best that you don't stress about it too much right now," Lucy advised.

"I miss her," Lindsay said tearfully. Violet hugged her tightly. It had been almost three days since Lindsay had seen her mother.

"I miss her too," Lucy said, taking Lindsay's hand in hers and squeezing it. "Your Dad will find her."

"I hope so," she whispered. She sometimes worried it would be too late, that she would be dead before seeing her mother again.

...

Jack had received the call and went to pick up Levi. He had to admit that for a 16 year old dog, Levi still had some spunk left in him. Today, though, Jack had to help him into the SUV. Myles had to turn away. It was too painful to watch.

"Here's the report on their findings," Jack said, handing it to Myles as he put the car into gear. He heard Myles flip through it.

"It seems that our Levi was left close to Richmond, Virginia," Myles mused.

"He must have walked two days straight to get to us," Jack said, looking in the rearview at Levi, who was now sleeping in the backseat.

"He had fibers in his teeth," Myles went on. "Possibly from the kidnapper?"

"I'll tell Tara to put out an alert for someone with a dog bite," Jack said, dialing. Myles kept reading as Jack relayed the information to Tara.

"Um, Jack," Myles said slowly.

"What?"

"They found a lump on Levi's side near his behind. They had it tested, and it's cancerous," Myles finished, looking at Jack.

"Ah geez," Jack said, rubbing his face hard. He knew Levi was on borrowed time. The dog really couldn't hear all that well anymore either, but Sue refused to get another hearing dog.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't read that," Myles said. "You have enough on your plate."

"Thanks. Look, I'm going to get back to Lindsay, but I'll drop you off at the office first. We need to find Howie," Jack said.

"Give Lindsay a hug for me," Myles instructed as Jack pulled up to the sidewalk in front of the office.

"Will do," Jack agreed.

...

"Do you want me to drive for a bit?" Sue asked. Bobby shook his head.

"I'm all right," he said. It was getting to be late afternoon. They would be at his father's place in roughly two more hours. He tapped the wheel anxiously. It was time to swap cars. He pulled into a parking lot, eyeing up the cars.

"Do we have to?" Sue asked.

"If you want to get home alive, then yes," Bobby answered. "I don't feel good about it either, Sue, but we need to do it to avoid getting killed."

"Okay," Sue said, still not liking it. Acceptance didn't mean approval after all. She turned away as Bobby picked open a car door and hotwired it. She got in reluctantly and immediately looked in the backseat.

"No car seats," Bobby told her, reading her mind. "I'm not a complete jerk."

"I didn't say anything," Sue said. Bobby didn't respond. He was too busy thinking about how his father was going to react when he saw them on his doorstep.

* * *

 **And the plot thickens...thank you for continuing to not guess what I'm going to do next! I really appreciate it :)**


	6. Chapter 6

"Have you slept at all?" Myles asked Tara, coming into the office and seeing her propped up on her desk. She looked like hell.

"Not really. I can't," she answered.

"You're no good to us if you're tired," Myles pointed out.

"I know, I know, but I can't sleep knowing that I'm wasting time," Tara argued. "I'm deep into this case file, and even though there really isn't much here, I think we can maybe get a suspect."

"Really?" Myles asked, sitting down beside her at her desk. "Show me."

"It appears that Howie witnessed some sort of exchange between two men. A girl about fifteen was handed over, and Howie did his best to describe her, but he couldn't remember everything. He thinks they might have seen him watching, but he wasn't sure. There has been no trace of these guys or the girl since 2010."

"Ouch," Myles winced.

"Other incidents included not just girls but boys too," Tara went on. "Every time, there is no trace of the kidnappers/traffickers, and Bobby was getting frustrated. Then," Tara said, flipping the pages. "Bobby got a lead from Howie again. His report of what happened is not here, though."

"It's not?" Myles asked, taking it from her.

"No. Either he didn't do it before he went missing or someone has taken it," Tara sighed. Myles hated to think that it had been swiped, but he wasn't going to rule anything out.

"Who all knows about this case?" he asked her.

"Bobby, Howie, Jack..." Tara trailed off. "I think Garrett, but that's all."

"Hmm," Myles said.

"Excuse me?" a voice said. They both looked up to see a middle aged woman with red hair and overalls standing there looking back at them.

"Yes?" Myles asked.

"Um...I'm a janitor here, and I saw something the other day that was weird," she said.

"And you are...?"

"Jackie," she answered.

"Okay, Jackie," Myles said. "Tell us what you saw."

"I saw a man I'd never seen before sitting at that desk over there," she said, pointing to Bobby's. "He was on the computer, so I asked him who he was and why he was there. He said he was new. He showed me his I.D. and everything, so I believed him. Now, knowing that Bobby is missing, I'm wondering if he lied to me."

"What did he look like?" Myles demanded.

"He was white, about six feet tall, brownish blondish hair, blue eyes. His I.D. said his name was Scott McCauley. I looked at it."

"I'll check staff for that name," Tara said immediately, typing furiously.

"Was he just on the computer?" Myles asked Jackie.

"No," she shook her head. "He had that file in his hands too. Now that you mention it, he was wearing some type of gloves..."

"Oh, Jackie," Myles sighed.

"I'm so stupid," she whispered. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," Tara reassured her. "You've still been a great help."

"Maybe you want to hang out with relatives or a friend tonight," Myles suggested.

"Why? Am I in danger?" Jackie asked, scared.

"It's just a precaution," Myles answered smoothly. "If he thinks you bought his story, then you're probably fine, but we don't want to take the risk."

"Oh my God!" Jackie cried.

"No Scott McCauley in our system," Tara cut in. "He was an intruder."

"Get all security footage of this place from...when was he here?" Myles asked Jackie, realizing he didn't know what night.

"Three nights ago."

"I'm on it," Tara nodded.

"There was something else about him too," Jackie said before Myles or Tara could say anything else.

"What's that?" Tara asked.

"He had like a claw mark on his one cheek. Like he'd been scratched."

Myles and Tara looked at each other.

"That's very helpful," Tara told her.

"Can you drive me to my friend's place?" Jackie asked Myles. "Now I'm scared."

"Certainly," Myles answered.

...

Jack arrived back at the hospital to find Lucy and Violet getting ready to leave. Levi was with him.

"Is she all right?" Lucy asked Jack after petting Levi happily. Violet was saying goodbye to Lindsay.

"No, Luce. She needs a heart and fast. They warned me it's...it's almost time," Jack barely finished. Lucy gasped, covering her mouth.

"They have to find a heart," she said. "They just have to!"

"They will," he said fiercely. "Linds is not gonna die."

"I'm ready," Violet said, tugging on Lucy's arm.

"Keep me informed," Lucy told Jack, hugging him tightly.

"I will," he promised. "Bye, kiddo."

"Bye Uncle Jack," Violet waved. He went in to sit beside Lindsay. Levi rested his head on the bed so Lindsay could pet him.

"Did they find anything?" she asked.

"He was in Virginia, so I have a team headed down there to get information," Jack told her.

"She could be anywhere," Lindsay said sadly. Jack sighed. It was time to tell her.

"Bobby's with her, so if they're together, they should be okay," he said. He wanted to believe that so much.

"Uncle Bobby is missing too?!" Lindsay asked, starting to cry. This was all too much.

"It'll be all right," Jack said, pulling her close. He felt Levi nuzzling his way in too for support. He desperately wanted to believe it.

...

Lucy got home before dinner, and she found Victor cooking enthusiastically at the stove when she entered their house. She loved their house. It was on a quiet street surrounded by white picket fences. It was a two story classic, and Lucy loved every inch of it. It reminded her of Anne's house from Green Gables.

"Daddy!" Violet cried, rushing to hug his knees.

"Hey, pumpkin!" Victor called, hoisting her up with one arm. He kissed her cheek. "How was your day?"

"I wanna stir," she said, pointing.

"All right," he laughed, obliging. Lucy went over and kissed him quickly.

"You're home in good time," she noted.

"All the action was early this morning. Thankfully, no fires this afternoon. This spring is turning out to be better than last year. Also, I get to spend some time with my girls," he winked. Lucy smiled. She loved when he was like this, in a good mood. She didn't like his bad moods.

...

 **2011**

Lucy was exhausted. Violet was not sleeping very well, and she wasn't either. Victor was at work most of the time. She really wanted him to help out, but he always had some reason for not being home or for being too tired himself when he was home. Enough was enough. She went into the living room where he was on the couch watching TV.

"I need you to help me," she said forcefully. "I can't go on. I'm tired. She won't sleep. I feel like I can't function anymore, that things are too hard." He set down the remote a little harder than he had to.

"I'm tired too, Lucy. I fight fires all day and save lives. I need my down time or else I'll fail as a firefighter and lose my job. Don't you understand?" he finished. She stared at him.

"This is not at all how I imagined us raising a child," she said finally. "I thought we were a team."

"We are a team. You look after Violet, and I look after you both by working."

"I could be back at work too," Lucy argued.

"I don't want Violet raised by strangers," Victor said harshly.

"They wouldn't be strangers. It's Sue! You know Sue," Lucy said angrily.

"I thought you wanted to stay home and raise her?" Victor asked aggressively.

"I do! But if it's hard on you to be the only one working and providing, then I will go back to my job and help out," Lucy said.

"It's not hard," Victor snapped. "It's just not appreciated."

"Whoa," Lucy said, holding her hands up. "I do so appreciate what you do for us." Victor got up then, and Lucy took a step back. He looked angry.

"Then show it," he snarled, going up the stairs and out the front door, slamming it hard and waking up a finally sleeping Violet. Lucy started to cry. Did he not care at all?

...

"Is something wrong?" Sue asked Lucy the next day. They were at the park watching Lindsay run around with other children. Lucy had Violet in her stroller and was pushing it back and forth slowly.

"I'm just tired," Lucy lied. There was no sense in dragging Sue into it. So Victor was in a mood. Everyone had moods. This would blow over.

"I remember those days," Sue smiled.

"Are you planning on going back to work?" Lucy asked, changing the subject.

"Lindsay starts junior kindergarten this fall, and I was planning on going back then," Sue answered. "It beats being around the house alone."

"Fair enough," Lucy said.

"What about you? Violet is a year old now. Are you going back to work?"

"I think I'm going to stay home with her like you did," Lucy replied.

"She'll get better," Sue promised. "Lindsay went through a period of not sleeping too, but she got better."

"Thanks," Lucy smiled. "I'll hold on to that hope."

"Everything okay with Victor?" Sue asked. Lucy looked at her. Maybe her friend was smarter than she looked.

"He's tired too. He works hard. We're okay, though," she fibbed. Victor hadn't said two words to her since last night. She could only imagine what that night was going to look like when he got home. At least he didn't drink. Lucy had no idea how she would handle an alcoholic on top of everything.

"If you ever need a break, let me know," Sue urged. "I love looking after Violet."

"Thanks, Sue," Lucy smiled. "You're such a good friend." She hugged Sue then and turned back to Lindsay, who was now showing off her knickers and chest to everyone by having her dress pulled up over her head.

"Oh my," Sue sighed. "I was warned about this stage." Lucy laughed as Sue ran over to explain to Lindsay that you didn't flash people in public like that; it was impolite. Violet made a burping sound in the stroller, and Lucy looked down at her beautiful baby girl. Things would definitely get better. She had to have that hope.

...

When she got home, Victor was already there. She was taken aback by the roses and candles.

"Am I in the right house?" she asked, laughing. He smiled at her, taking Violet off her hands and making her giggle.

"You sure are. Luce, I'm so sorry. I was such a jerk. I should have never said those things. Of course you're tired. I'm going to try to help more starting right now. Can you forgive me?" he asked, giving her his famous big brown eyes look.

"Of course," Lucy said, moving in to hug him. "We're both tired and stressed. We said things we didn't mean. Let's just start fresh."

"I like that idea," he smiled. He swooped Violet around like a plane, making her laugh harder. "I'll get her ready for a bath, and then once she's in bed, our night can begin."

"Okay," Lucy agreed. She laughed as she watched him carry their daughter upstairs under one arm and tickling her. Things had sorted themselves out. There was nothing to worry about.

...

 **Present-2017**

Dimitrius was in a drive thru when the call came in. He abandoned his order at the window much to the teenager's chagrin and sped over to the scene. He got out, his heart full of dread.

"What do you have?" he asked the officer on scene.

"A white Caucasian male, dirty blond hair, approximately mid to late 40s," the officer replied. "Gunshot wound to the chest and neck."

"Oh no," D said, catching sight of the body. "Oh no, no, no."

"You know him?" the officer asked.

"Yea," D answered. He turned away then, dialing on his phone. "Myles? D here. We found Howie. He's dead."

...

"This place looks...scary," Sue said as they made their way down the trail. Bobby kept looking around to make sure they weren't being followed.

"It's supposed to ward off intruders," Bobby answered.

"It's working," Sue muttered. She hugged herself as they stopped in the middle of the property. Bobby had a feeling his father knew they were here.

"Stop," he said, putting his arm in front of Sue.

"What?" she whispered.

"Pops?" Bobby called. He heard rustling then.

"Bobby?" Mac asked, showing himself. He had a rifle in his hand.

"Yea," Bobby answered. "It's me."

"What are you doing here?"

"We're in trouble, Mac," Bobby said. "You are our only hope." Mac let the rifle dangle beside his leg. He looked back and forth between Sue and Bobby.

"Does it involve a shotgun wedding?" he asked.

"Lord no," Bobby shook his head. "Someone just tried to kill us. We need a place to hide for the night while we figure out our next steps."

"Come on in," Mac gestured. Sue peered at the trap door.

"Down there?" she asked.

"Only one way in," Mac told them. "I'm used to people trying to kill me too."

"Fabulous," Bobby said sarcastically. He went in first with Sue following. Mac took one last look around before closing the door and latching it. All ten bolts. You just never knew.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Thanks for continuing to not speculate what happens next :) Expect frequent updates cos I am typing furiously and editing. There will be 12 chapters ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

Tara awoke with a gasp. The image of Bobby reaching out for her hand as he fell was stuck in her mind, and she tried hard to blink it away. She coughed and stood up, looking down at all the papers in front of her. She was trying to find what Bobby had found. If he could figure it out, then she could too. She wasn't doing so well, though. It was almost midnight. Time for coffee.

"You're in time. I made a fresh brew," she said a few minutes later when Myles walked in. He looked very somber. "What's wrong?"

"They found Howie," he answered. Tara clutched her mug.

"And?" she pressed.

"He's been killed," Myles told her. Tara made a half gasp, half cry sound in her throat. She felt her heart breaking. Not Howie. He was cute in his own awkward way. He didn't deserve that. D walked in before she could ask anymore questions.

"What a nightmare," D said, collapsing into his chair. "I haven't even called Jack yet. This whole thing is just getting worse and worse."

"We think Howie was protecting Bobby," Myles told Tara.

"From what? Who?" she demanded.

"We're waiting for the autopsy to be done and CSIs to get the evidence to look at," D answered. "It looks like he may have scratched his attacker."

"Oh, Howie," Tara lamented. Always the one to try to be an FBI agent, Howie would of course have known to get DNA evidence as he was dying.

"Our intruder had a scratch on his face," Myles said suddenly. "Remember? Jackie told us."

"Right!" Tara exclaimed.

"Intruder?" D asked, confused.

"The nighttime janitor told us a guy with FBI I.D. was in here looking at Bobby's trafficking file, and he had a claw mark on his cheek."

"We find him, we find out what happened to Bobby," D noted.

"Here's your footage you requested," an intern said, handing Tara a package.

"Yes!" Tara exclaimed. "We can find him on this and see what he drives!"

"Put it in, put it in!" Myles ordered. They huddled around the screen as Tara searched and scanned.

"There," D pointed, seeing the man briefly on the screen.

"Oh he's good. He knows where all the cameras are," Myles muttered. The man was able to hide his face for most of the shots.

"Maybe not all of them," Tara said suddenly. She went rooting around and dug up a different disc.

"What's that?" Myles asked as she put it in to watch.

"Ha!" Tara crowed. "He missed this one."

"I knew you were a genius for putting that up," D commended her.

"What camera is this?" Myles demanded. Tara smirked. She had hidden her own personal camera to catch whoever was stealing her office supplies all the time. Turned out it was Myles. Always. It also just so happened to be pointing at his desk, which was right beside Bobby's.

"That's him," Tara said, changing the subject. Myles and D looked closer.

"I know him," D said, shocked.

"What?" Myles asked.

"Yea!" Tara exclaimed.

"He's our favorite waiter at our usual restaurant," D told Myles, getting up fast and hurrying out the door. Tara grabbed her vest off her desk before leaving too.

"Am I the only person who can't remember our favorite waiter? Since when do we have a favorite waiter?" Myles asked after her as she rushed after D. He growled to himself and hurried after them.

...

Jack desperately needed a shower, but his house was still on lockdown. He figured he could try Lucy's place. He knew it was late at night, but Lindsay was asleep with Levi, and he also needed to talk to someone.

"Jack?" Lucy asked, squinting. She was holding her phone in her one hand, the light bouncing off his retinas.

"Yea. I'm sorry it's so late, but I can't go home, and everyone is starting to give me a wide berth," Jack told her. She gave a small snort of laughter.

"All right. I'm glad to see your sense of humor isn't completely obliterated," she said, letting him in.

"Will this cause any trouble?" he asked, hinting at Victor.

"No, no. He knows what's going on."

"Luce? What's going on?" Victor asked from the stairs. He came into view and saw Jack standing there. "A late night meeting?"

"Jack needs to shower, and his house is still not accessible to him," Lucy explained.

"I see," Victor said. "Well, make yourself at home. I'm so sorry about what's been going on. Anything I can do to help, I will."

"Thanks, Victor. I really appreciate it," Jack said. Lucy showed him to the bathroom and pulled out a towel for him. When she returned to the kitchen, Victor was sitting there with his leg bouncing. That wasn't a good sign. Ever.

"He's our friend," Lucy said, seeing his face.

"It's almost midnight, Luce," Victor said, his tone getting angry.

"His world is a little turned upside down as you well know and commented on just now," Lucy argued. "If it was you, wouldn't you be grateful that someone could help out?"

"I wouldn't come in the middle of the night," Victor snapped. "Unless you thought I was going to be asleep through your tryst."

"Oh good Lord, Vic," Lucy growled. "I am NOT sleeping with Jack. Why do you always assume that I'm cheating on you? It's exhausting."

"You always give me a reason to be suspicious," Victor told her.

"That's bull and you know it," she said angrily.

"I'm going to sit here all night with you two," Victor went on.

"Go ahead. I'm sure he's just here to shower and maybe talk about his missing wife. Have a heart, Vic," Lucy snapped at him. He softened then.

"You're right. I'm sorry. His wife is missing and his child is dying. I should be kinder. I've just been so stressed at work...there's talk of some of the crew being let go, so my head isn't on straight. Can you forgive me?" he asked.

"I always do," she answered. She wondered if he was going to be one of the ones being let go. It troubled her.

"I love you," Victor said. Jack emerged then before Lucy could reply.

"That was fast," Lucy commented.

"I don't want to impose longer than I need to," Jack responded. "Thanks so much for letting me do that."

"You're welcome, buddy," Victor said cheerfully. "Anytime. Always glad to help."

"Thanks," Jack nodded. He avoided looking at Lucy. He had heard a piece of their argument.

"Do you want a coffee or anything?" Lucy asked.

"No. It's late. I have to get back to Lindsay," Jack replied. "But thanks."

"Take care," Victor said as Jack went out the door.

"I don't know how he's getting through this," Lucy said sadly.

"Like anyone does when they have to," Victor told her. Then he kissed the top of her head and went back up to bed. Lucy sat at the table for almost an hour after, thinking.

...

 **2012**

"I don't understand why Lucy isn't coming back to work," Myles complained. It was another day at the office, and Sue, Jack, Bobby, Tara, and D were listening to Myles moan about the lack of help that Lucy used to give. It was a cold, January day, and nobody wanted to do anything but stay warm.

"She's raising her child," Sue replied.

"Forever?" Myles asked.

"Kids are kind of a forever thing, Myles," D pointed out.

"But you're at work," Myles said. "And so is Jack and Sue."

"Have a kid and find out for yourself," Jack said. "It's hard being away from them."

"I'd love to hang around and chat about kids all day," Bobby said, getting up. "But I have a lovely lady I'm proposing to in t minus three hours. I'm off." He slung his coat over his shoulder, missing the look on Tara's face before it disappeared. Sue caught it, however.

"Good luck!" D called after him.

"Do you think I could convince her to come back?" Myles asked.

"Let it go, man," Jack advised. Sue sidled over to Tara.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"Hm? Yea. Just fine," Tara answered quickly. She was. She really was.

...

She was so not fine. Tara spent the evening trying not to think about Bobby and Emily. She did, however, think about how that woman entered their lives in late 2006. December to be exact. Bobby always joked that she was his Christmas gift. They had just passed the five year mark that Christmas, and now Bobby was going to propose. New year, new dreams as he said. Yuck. Emily was so fake. Tara couldn't stand watching her act around Bobby. It was like watching a princess. Even though it was cold, she had to get some air, so she went for a walk. She was surprised to find herself staying quite warm despite the wind that was blowing. Eventually, she came across someone standing in front of the pool hall. She went to move around him when she noticed who it was.  
"Bobby?" she asked, incredulous. He turned to face her. He looked very sad. "What are you doing here? I thought you were off getting engaged."

"Yea. Not so much," he answered, showing her the ring box.

"What happened?" she asked, concerned.

"She said no," he replied. Tara was stunned. Emily? Said no? What was wrong with that girl?! When a guy like Bobby proposed, you said hell yes!

"I'm so sorry," Tara said.

"It's all right. I knew it was too good to be true," Bobby shrugged. "I'm an addict. Nobody wants an addict."

"An addict?" Tara asked, surprised. He gestured at the pool hall.

"Gambling," he told her. "I used to gamble. I thought I could tell her, but it turns out that honesty isn't always the best policy."

"Well, that's her stupid fault for giving you up," Tara spluttered. She had no idea Bobby struggled with gambling.

"Maybe not," Bobby sighed. She saw him looking at the pool tables inside.

"Are you going to go in?" she asked. "Should I stop you or something? Tackle you?" He laughed.

"You don't have to."

"Well, I want to. How long have you been not gambling?" she asked. She had almost said "sober," but that didn't seem right.

"Nine years," he said softly.

"Oh, then I am not letting you go inside," she said, taking his arm. "Come on. I have a place we can go. It's this new restaurant. I think you'll like it. There's this new waiter there who is so good with your order. He doesn't even need a pad of paper!" Bobby went willingly, and they talked long into the evening about everything. Tara felt a warmth towards Bobby, but she knew better than to act on anything since he just got out of a five year relationship. He needed time to heal, and she was going to wait it out.

...

 **Present-2017**

"Winter's coming," Mac commented as he poured them coffee.

"That's so not relevant right now," Bobby countered. Mac handed them each a mug.

"I'm just saying."

"Can you help us?" Sue asked. She was anxious to get home.

"That depends. You haven't exactly filled me in on what's going on," Mac said, sitting down and putting his arms behind his head.

"You don't need all the details, but I basically busted into this ring of human traffickers, and now they're trying to kill both Sue and myself," Bobby said, sipping his coffee. Oh how it tasted so good.

"The thing is, I don't really know what's going on," Sue said. "It's not my case."

"It was wrong timing," Bobby said. "I'm so sorry for that. If I had known what was going to happen, I would have let you guys in on it. You wouldn't be here." He knew she didn't know who the Monster was, but Bobby did. He was going to take that person down so hard when he got the chance.

"So what do you need from me?" Mac asked.

"Resources," Bobby answered. "A car. Back up. You know, that sort of thing."

"You want me to go with you guys?" Mac asked, incredulous. "No way."

"Come on, Dad," Bobby said, banging his hand on the table. "Here's your chance to step up and help your son. I wouldn't be asking unless I really needed your help."

"I can give you a car, but I'm not going with you," Mac said.

"You're really not going to come with us?" Bobby asked. Mac looked at him solemnly.

"I can't go back to jail, son. I'm afraid you're on your own for this one. The car is the best help I can offer you. You can stay here and rest til morning." Bobby sucked on his lower lip, annoyed at his father, but he didn't say anything more.

"Thank you," Sue said to him. Mac bowed his head and got up to show her where she could sleep. Bobby sat at the table until he returned.

"Now that she's out of the way," Mac said. "What's really going on?"

Bobby looked at him for a moment, and then he told his father everything. It all started with a waiter.

...

"Excuse me, have you seen Scotty today?" D asked the owner of the restaurant.

"No. He's been off the last four days," the owner answered. "Why?"

"We think he might be involved in a kidnapping," Tara added breathlessly. She was still confused as to why Scott used his real name on the I.D., but now was not the time for those questions. Not yet.

"That's ridiculous," the owner laughed. "Kid wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Have you ever noticed if he was involved with any suspicious looking people?" Myles asked, out of breath. He had just arrived.

"No. He came and did his job and did it well. I heard he was sick. Come back tomorrow and maybe you'll have better luck," the owner advised. He left the three of them standing there looking deflated.

"Now what?" Tara asked.

"You look for Scott?" a boy asked. His English sounded a little broken.

"Yes. You know where he is?" D countered. The boy nodded.

"I show you," he said. "Then, you help me."

"With what?"

"Escape," the boy answered. Tara and Myles shared a look. Had they just found a victim of trafficking? Had Bobby learned about him?

"Okay," D agreed. "Deal." The boy raced ahead, and the three of them followed. Tara gave their coordinates to the office so that more help could arrive. The boy led them to a dark alley where an abandoned looking apartment building stood. He let them in and walked over to where Scott was sitting propped against the wall.

"Oh no," Tara gasped, catching a whiff of the odor. Myles clutched his nose. D stood strong and looked at Scott, who had a bullet between his eyes. The gun was sitting beside him.

"This warning to us," the boy said. "We need help." D noticed figures in the shadows. Other boys and girls emerged looking frightened.

"What's your name?" D asked.

"Timmy," the boy replied. "We trapped here for long time. Scott said you were law and could help."

"Who did this to Scott?" Myles asked through his fingers.

"We don't know. We found him like this," Timmy lamented. He was visibly frightened.

"Okay, let's get out of here," Tara said urgently. "Come on, you guys. You're coming with us. You're safe now." Timmy and four others followed them out of the horrible building. Tara heard sirens in the distance and knew their backup was coming. It was too bad they were too late. Then she saw something buried under tarps and garbage.

"Wait," she said, stopping and pointing. "Look!"

"What?" Myles asked.

"That's Bobby's car," Tara said breathlessly. They all stared at it. What was it doing here?

"I think," Myles started, "this is why Bobby is missing."

"But...what about Sue?" D asked. They looked at each other. D was right. None of this explained why Sue went missing too.

* * *

 **Five chapters to go! I bet you're all getting so anxious for the end ;) So close, you guys!**


	8. Chapter 8

Jack stood there looking at Howie lying on that cold, hard table. It broke his heart to see him there. Howie didn't deserve that kind of death. He pinched his nose to stop the burning in his eyes.

"I found this," the coroner said, handing Jack a piece of paper.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Looks like a note for you," he replied, going back to his report. Jack opened the paper and read the note.

 **Jack,**

 **I can't get a hold of Bobby, but something bad is about to happen. I tried calling Sue. She's not answering either. Scotty the waiter told me that they're trying to kill Bobby. I'm trying to warn them, but I can't get a hold of anybody! I'll try again before I go to meet Scotty today to get more info. If you've found this, then it means I died trying to save them. I only hope my death wasn't in vain. Give my love to Lindsay. She's a tough one, Jack. She'll get through this. Anyway, here I go.**

 **Howie**

"Oh God, Howie," Jack said. Why hadn't Howie called him?! Why didn't he write who "they" were?! Jack growled in frustration. This didn't help him at all. It only made him feel worse that Howie had died and Bobby and Sue were still kidnapped and possibly...

No.

He wasn't going to think that right now. They were fine. They had to be.

"Scotty the waiter?" Jack murmured, thinking hard suddenly. His phone rang, and he answered.

"Jack," D said. "I think we've gotten a clue to what Bobby was into before he disappeared."

"Do you know who Scotty the waiter is? I'm here with Howie's body, and he left a note saying the guy told him Bobby was in danger. He was going to meet him."

"Scotty is dead," D informed him. "He's the one who broke into our office. We also think Howie scratched his face."

"Oh no. So Scotty was in on it?" Jack asked.

"No idea. We are still trying to get some answers," D sighed. "I'm sure the coroner can match DNA from Howie's nails to the mark on Scotty's face."

"Thanks for the update," Jack said miserably. He hung up. He wasn't getting answers. He was only getting more pain.

...

"Okay," Tara said, looking at the board. It was usually Jack doing this, but he wasn't there, so she felt the need to take charge. Neither Myles or D were complaining.

"So we know that Scotty was somehow involved. He broke into our office to get information and killed Howie, but who killed him?" she finished. They all looked at the pictures on the board. Myles avoided looking at Howie's with the word "Deceased" written beside it. It was too painful.

"There's another, bigger player in this," D said, sighing. "And we have no leads or clues as to who it is."

"We could interview Timmy and his fellow friends," Tara suggested. "Maybe they saw different men or women hanging around."

"Maybe. I doubt it, though," Myles said.

"Someone had to move them around. They must remember at least one face," Tara argued.

"I'll set it up," D cut in before Myles could respond. "I think Tara might have a point." He went to make some calls at his desk.

"What's bothering me is we didn't find any of the information Scotty stole, so he obviously gave that to someone before he was killed," Tara mused.

"Or that's why they killed him," Myles interjected. "He did his job so they were finished with him."

"You could be right," Tara agreed. "I just wish I could figure out what it was."

"So do I, but let's hope one of these kids can help us," Myles said.

...

Lindsay was waiting for her father to arrive when Dr. Chang and her favorite nurse, Candace, came in.

"Good news, Lindsay," Dr. Chang said cheerfully. "We have a heart for you!"

"You do?" she asked.

"Yes! It's time to get prepped for surgery," he said. Candace began unhooking things and put the bed rails up. She smiled encouragingly at Lindsay.

"Wait! What about my Dad?" Lindsay asked, panicked.

"I can't reach him. We'll keep trying, but this is a time sensitive thing, Lindsay. We have to move quickly," Dr. Chang explained.

"O-okay," Lindsay nodded, swallowing hard. She was nervous and a little scared, but she was ten years old now. She could be brave. More nurses came to help push the bed and start prepping her. She could feel her heart pounding, and it hurt.

"What about Levi?" she asked as they wheeled her out the room.

"He can sit with us out in the hall," Candace replied, smiling. Lindsay was quiet for a moment as they went down the hall.

"Will it really work?" she asked hopefully. Dr. Chang smiled at her.

"We really hope so," he answered.

...

Sue awoke to Bobby shaking her. She sat up quickly.

"What's wrong?" she asked urgently.

"Time to go," he replied. She hurried out of bed and followed him out to the kitchen area.

"Are we going home?"

"Heading in that direction, yes. We're all loaded up, and we're gonna get out of here," Bobby promised. Mac was standing by the door, watching.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," Sue said to him.

"My pleasure," he bowed his head. "Just be safe, okay?"

"Will do, Dad," Bobby said, loading his hand gun and slinging a shot gun over his shoulder. Mac led the way to where the car was. Once they were off, Sue let out the breath she was holding.

"How are we going to just show back up home without telling them we're alive? Won't they just come back to hurt us again?" Sue asked.

"I've got a plan, Sue," Bobby told her. "Trust me."

"I'm trying, but you're not telling me what the plan is, and it scares me," she said, frustrated.

"It's best you don't know," Bobby explained. The wind whipped at them through the open car window. Bobby didn't want anyone to know what his plan was. He didn't want to risk the Monster finding out. The consequences could be dire.

...

 **2013**

"The Monster?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows. "Really? Isn't that a little...I dunno...immature?"

"It suits them," Bobby answered, capping his marker. He was staring at the board. Everyone else had gone home for the day, so Bobby was busy mapping out his case while the board was free.

"Them?"

"Well, I say them cos I think it's more than one person, but I also don't know if it's a he or a she," Bobby shrugged.

"Fair enough," Jack reasoned. "You getting anymore leads? You've been what, three years on this case?"

"It's a hard one, Sparky," Bobby sighed. "I get close, and they disappear. Howie is doing his best, but he's only one man in this big city. I need a break, and I don't know when I'll get one."

"Think it'll become a cold case?"

"No. Not on my watch," Bobby shook his head. "This monster needs to be stopped. What they're doing is horrific."

"Want my help?"

"Nah. I can do it. No need to drag you into it if it all goes south."

"You think it will?"

"It's a gut feeling."

"Well, I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks, mate," Bobby smiled. "Now go home to that lovely wife and child of yours."

"I'm on it," Jack grinned, slinging his coat over his shoulders as he walked out of the bull pen. Sometimes he couldn't believe he had a wife and daughter.

...

Sue didn't have time to warn him, so when Jack arrived home to find Lucy, Victor, and toddler Violet in his home, he was surprised.

"Hi," he said, taken aback.

"Hi. Sorry," Sue said, kissing his cheek. "They popped in for a visit, and I invited them for dinner."

"Nice to see you again," Jack said to Victor, shaking his hand. He and Lucy were sitting at the table while Violet and Lindsay were playing in the living room. Levi was supervising.

"You as well," Victor nodded.

"How are things?" Jack asked them both. Victor and Lucy looked at each other.

"Busy," Victor answered.

"Hectic," Lucy said at the same time. They both laughed together, and Victor rested his hand on her leg.

"Good busy?" Jack asked. Sue was finishing up dinner, so he started setting the table. She smiled at him.

"Oh yes. No deaths on the job recently anyway," Victor said, rubbing his head. "Makes my life easier."

"That must be hard," Jack empathized.

"It is. I always feel so helpless that I got there too late, you know? I know it's not my fault, but it sticks with me," Victor sighed. Lucy hugged him then.

"We've been trying to do more fun things lately," Lucy explained. "Visiting friends was on top of the list."

"And we're so grateful," Sue said from the stove.

"Daddy!" Lindsay yelped, rushing to him. Jack couldn't help but notice that she was so out of breath.

"Hey," he said, picking her up. "Are you all right?"

"Yea. I'm just tired," she dismissed. Jack frowned. She was six. Weren't they supposed to be full of boundless energy? He set her down so she could go wash her hands for supper. Violet followed her and did the same.

"Is Lindsay okay?" Jack asked Sue.

"I think so," she replied, looking in the direction of where their daughter had gone. "Why?"

"She just seemed more tired than usual," Jack explained.

"Hmm. I'll have to pay attention more," Sue said. When the girls came back, they started supper. It turned out to be a lovely evening. Sue could see why Lucy loved Victor. He was charming and caring. She knew they struggled and sometimes fought, but couples have fights. Sue wouldn't start to worry until Lucy told her to. She knew her friend wouldn't put up with crap for long without nipping it in the bud.

...

 **Present-2017**

Jack found Tara and Myles in the bullpen staring at the whiteboard.

"Well?" he asked.

"Hey! I thought you'd be with Lindsay," Tara said, hugging him.

"I knew you guys would be working to figure this out. She was sleeping, so I have some time," Jack replied.

"D is interrogating the kids we found where Scotty had been murdered," Myles filled him in. "We're hoping they can tell us a description of their captors."

"Good idea. Let's hope this gets wrapped up fast," Jack said.

"We hope so too. We haven't heard anything from Virginia or about anyone with a dog bite, so thinking it's a dead end," Tara winced. "They couldn't match the fibers to any particular style of pants either."

"Great," Jack said. "Just great."

"Ugh, this is too much," Tara said, closing her eyes in frustration.

"You guys," D said, charging into the room. "I have a new lead." He waved around a drawing of what looked like a woman. Tara squinted at it but couldn't see it properly.

"It's a huge lead," D went on. "Something you're not gonna expect."

...

Sue tried very hard not to think about Levi. She had no idea what happened to him. She also tried not to think about Jack or Lindsay. It hurt too much. She watched Bobby drove the car along and wondered what he was thinking or not thinking about. He kept promising that it would be all right, but Sue had a bad feeling about it all. She also had a feeling that Bobby wasn't quite telling her everything that he knew. It scared her.

* * *

 **Thanks for reviewing! I'm so glad you're all sticking with me and (hopefully) enjoying the story. Four more chapters to go!**


	9. Chapter 9

"What lead?" Jack asked. His phone vibrated then, and he struggled to find it.

"We have a description of a woman," D said. "I think she might be a higher up in all this."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Myles urged. D showed them the picture that had been drawn.

"I don't recognize her," Tara shook her head.

"Put it out in the media. We need to know who this person is. Now," D ordered. All three suddenly noticed Jack standing there staring at his phone.

"What's wrong?" Tara asked.

"It's Lindsay," Jack replied. "She's having surgery. They found a donor."

"I'm so relieved!" Tara cried.

"Get over there!" Myles ordered. "We have this under control."

"Thanks," Jack said, rushing out the door. How he had missed the other phone calls he had no idea. All he cared about was the fact Lindsay was getting a new heart.

...

Lucy hung up the phone with Tara and thanked God for the good news. It was eight a.m., and Victor was at the table finishing his breakfast quickly. She relayed the good news to him.

"That's wonderful!" he beamed. "I bet Jack is so relieved."

"He probably is. I just wish Sue would come home or something would give in that department," Lucy sighed.

"Your old team is very good at their jobs, Luce," Victor said encouragingly. "They'll find her and Bobby."

"I really hope so," Lucy said, sitting down beside him and resting her chin on her hand. "I hate not knowing anything."

"It's frustrating," Victor nodded. He downed the last of his coffee. "I wish I could stay here and be of more support, but I'm needed at work. An elderly woman has her kitten stuck in a tree. We don't do those calls anymore, but I think my captain just feels really bad, so that's where I'm off to."

"Aww poor woman! It's okay," Lucy said, giving him a small smile. "I know you're needed."

"Call me if you need me, okay? Cos you're important too."

"I will. Go rescue the kitty!"

"I'm on it," he nodded. He bent to give her a kiss before grabbing his backpack and strolling out the back door. Lucy had to give him credit for going to work everyday not knowing if he'd be in danger or not, rescuing someone from a burning building or just from a simple tree. She sometimes wondered if she'd get the phone call saying he'd never come home. She sometimes didn't know how to feel about that thought.

...

Bobby was living in the past as they drove. He kept thinking about how he ended up here in this moment. He wondered if Tara was frantically trying to find them. Knowing her, and he thought he knew her quite well, she'd be working 24/7 and not sleeping. His heart twinged as he thought about her more. She had been such a support to him when he needed her, and it seemed he was always the one needing her. He wanted to be there for her, to show her that he cared for her as much as she cared about him. He had been debating asking her on a date before this all happened, but he knew he was in too deep with this case. If he had started dating Tara, she would most likely either be in this car with him right now or worse. As much as Bobby had wanted to date her, kiss her, hold her, he had wanted her to stay alive. Maybe when this was all over and he was still alive, they could have that conversation. He tried not to think about Lindsay. That poor girl was probably in hysterics wondering where her mother was.

"Bobby?" Sue asked suddenly, pointing. "What is that?" There were three cars coming up behind them. Bobby twisted to see.

"Shit," he said. He ducked down to grab one of his guns. Sue felt frightened.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"They found us," he answered. "So much for that." They had barely made it into Kentucky.

"But...how?"

"Questions later," Bobby said. "Get in the back. Now." Sue obeyed. She huddled on the floor of the car in the back. She prayed that they would get through this safely.

"All right," Bobby muttered to himself as the cars got closer. "Show time." When the bullets started flying, he began his evading tactics. He hoped Sue was hanging on back there. It was going to be a rough ride. Scotty would have been so envious of all this. After all, he had loved action movies.

...

 **2015**

"Hey, hey," Bobby crowed as Scotty set down his coffee. "My man. You're the best."

"I try," Scotty grinned. "Anything else?"

"Nah. This'll do," Bobby replied. "So, how are things?"

"Good. I work more than I play," Scotty laughed.

"What do you do for fun anyway?"

"I love watching movies. Jason Statham is my favorite actor. I love all action movies, but especially if he's in them," Scotty answered.

"Yea, he's a tough one," Bobby agreed. "How much do you work anyway? I always feel like you're here every time I come in."

"Just the usual shiftwork," Scotty said, shifting uncomfortably. Bobby noticed this.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Scotty replied. "I should get back to work, though." He left quickly, and Bobby wondered if something more was going on with Scotty than he knew.

...

Sue was feeling anxious. She and Jack were in the waiting room with Lindsay at their doctor's office. He was going to give them the results of some recent tests, and Sue was afraid it would be bad news.

"Hudson family," Dr. Chang called, smiling. "Come on in." They herded into his office, and he shut the door. His face was solemn now.

"What is it?" Jack asked immediately. Lindsay was swinging her legs while sitting in the chair. She looked around the office, not fully paying attention.

"After a lot of tests, we've concluded that your daughter has restrictive cardiomyopathy," Dr. Chang said. He folded his fingers together. "What is that?" Sue asked.

"It's a heart condition where the walls of your lower chamber in your heart are too thick and aren't able to expand. It makes it more difficult for the ventricles to get blood, and this can sometimes lead to heart failure," Dr. Chang finished.

"W-what can we do?" Jack asked. He grabbed Sue's hand. Never had he thought it would come to this. Lindsay had suffered from fatigue and shortness of breath along with constant nausea and swelling of her legs and feet. Dr. Chang always had another idea of what it could be, but after she fainted at school, enough was enough. It had led to more serious testing, and now they were sitting here finding out their daughter could die.

"First off, we start working on her diet and exercise. We can introduce some beta blockers or ACE inhibitors to see if that helps as well," Dr. Chang went on. "We will do everything we can to help Lindsay's heart, but I must warn you, there might come a time where she needs a heart transplant."

"Oh," Jack said. He swallowed hard. He felt Sue shaking beside him. Lindsay still wasn't really paying attention, or so he had thought.

"Am I going to die?" she asked, making him jump.

"No, sweetie. Not yet," Dr. Chang smiled at her. "Just some medicine and things to try first. Okay?"

"Okay," Lindsay nodded.

Dr. Chang went on to give them directions of what to change in her diet and what exercise to try. It all felt like a dream. Jack had no idea what their future would look like.

...

 **Present-2017**

"Candace Booker!" Myles shouted, rushing into the bullpen. D and Tara looked up at him immediately.

"That's the woman?" D asked.

"Yes! I'm going to pick her up right now," Myles said.

"Hold on. I'm coming too," D said, grabbing his coat and bullet proof vest. He and Myles rushed out. Tara sat in her chair feeling useless. She had no idea what was going to happen next.

...

"Where is she?!" Jack cried, racing to the nurses' station. The nurse on duty looked up at him.

"Who?" she asked.

"My daughter. Lindsay Hudson. I was called and told she was having her transplant surgery."

"Oh, yes. She's still in surgery. Have a seat in the waiting room, and Dr. Chang will be with you shortly," she instructed. Jack felt helpless and angry, but he headed over to the waiting room all the same. He was fiddling with his phone, the television making white noise in the background. Suddenly, a voice on the TV was making an announcement. Jack looked up at it.

"It appears there is some sort of chase going on just at the Kentucky border," the newsman said. They showed footage of a grey sedan being chased by three black sedans with a bunch of cop cars following. Jack frowned. What was going on now?

"It would seem that gunfire has been exchanged, and the police are warning folks to stay in their homes until this is over."

Jack held his breath. Could it be? He whipped out his phone to text Tara.

 **Look into car chase going on right now in Kentucky.**

"Jack?"

"Yea?" he said, looking at Dr. Chang. He stood quickly. "Is it over? Is she okay?" Dr. Chang twisted his fingers.

"I'm so sorry, Jack," he said. "It was not successful. Things did not go well, and the heart being transplanted had other complications show up that made it unsafe to give to your daughter."

"W-what? N-n-no. No," Jack repeated.

"She's back in her room," Dr. Chang went on. "Jack, it's really close to that time. I'm so sorry."

"No!"

"Jack..." the doctor started. Then Jack saw Myles and Dimitrius in full gear rushing through the halls with back up behind them.

"Hold on," Jack said, running after them. "Myles!"

"Not now," Myles called back. They burst into Lindsay's room where a nurse was hanging the drip line back up.

"Excuse me?" she said. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Arresting you," Myles said, aiming his gun at her.

"What?!" she said, outraged. D went around and handcuffed her. Jack arrived to see Lindsay looking confused and the nurse spluttering about lawyers and rights.

"Myles?" Jack asked again. When the woman was gone, Myles turned to him.

"She's Candace Booker. She's a part of the trafficking ring."

...

Lindsay was shocked. First, the heart didn't work out. Then, her favorite nurse was arrested?! None of it made any sense at all. She started to cry.

"Hey, hey," Jack said, sitting on the bed beside her and pulling her into his arms. "Everything is going to be just fine."

"No, it's not," she cried. "Daddy, I'm dying. I can feel it..."

"Shhhh," he soothed. "You're not going to die. I won't let you."

"There's no heart for me," she whimpered. "I'm scared."

"Hey, remember that God is watching, right? He's gonna save you," Jack promised. "I have faith."

"I try to have faith, but I'm still scared."

"That's okay. My faith is strong enough for both of us. Just get some rest, and we'll talk to Dr. Chang. I'm sure another donor is going to come along any minute now."

"Okay."

"I love you, Linds."

"I love you too, Dad."

Jack wished he felt as sure and brave as he sounded. He looked at his daughter and had a sinking feeling that their hope was running out.

...

Bobby hated that cops were now involved. It was going to make evasion that much harder. He had managed to take out one of the three cars, and it looked like a second car was being taken down by police. The third was still hot on his heels. Sue cried out in the backseat as the back window was shattered and glass went everywhere. Bobby fired some more rounds off out his window.

"Bobby!" Sue shouted. "What's happening?!" She tried to get back to the front seat.

"Stay back there!" he roared. She obeyed. He squealed onto an abandoned street and gunned it. He pulled into road after road, and eventually, the third car got lost. However, so was Bobby. He stopped at a side street and shut off the car.

"Come on," he said to her.

"What?"

"This car has been all over the news. We gotta get out of it," he ordered. He had seen the chopper. He briefly wondered if anyone in DC was watching right now. He ran over to the nearest car and smashed the window. Sue watched as he hot wired it.

"I don't understand," she started.

"I don't have time to explain," Bobby said. "Get in."

"I don't feel safe," she said.

"We aren't safe, Sue," Bobby told her roughly. "We won't be safe until this is over." He hated not telling her everything, but the less she knew the better. She had to trust him.

"Please just tell me what's going on!" Sue cried.

"Tonight," he promised finally. "I'll tell you tonight." They'd be closer to home if not back home already. He would have a better chance. He heard car tires squealing again. "Please, get in the car. He's coming back." Sue hurried into the passenger side, and they took off. She wondered if she would ever have a normal life again.

...

Tara frowned at Jack's text but did as he asked. She quickly found the news piece about the car chase, and she even got to see stills from what passerbys had taken. She paused on one, feeling something in her stomach that she couldn't explain. The driver had on a cowboy hat, and the long hair was hiding his face, but she felt fairly certain that this was Bobby. It was his mouth that gave it away. She had stared at it enough times longingly to know what it looked like. She grabbed her phone to call Jack. He needed to know right now.

* * *

 **Three more chapters to go. No, there will be no sequel. When this story ends, it's truly over. I know you might be relying on my writing style from my previous stories and expecting that, but trust me, this one is going to be very different. Thanks for still not predicting! Means a lot. See you in two days ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

Jack felt like his head was going to explode. Now that he was on his own in the hallway, he could process what had just happened. Candace was part of the ring. She was his daughter's nurse. How was this happening? Was she the monster? Was she hurting his daughter? When Tara phoned him to say she thought it was Bobby in that car chase, he knew what he needed to do. First, he needed to check on Lindsay again. After her tearful talk, she had fallen asleep for a bit. Now, she was awake and had questions.

"Dad?" she asked. "What's going on? Why did they arrest Candace? What were they talking about?"

"She's a bad person," Jack explained. "Did she hurt you in any way?"

"No. She was really nice," Lindsay said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Dad, she was so sweet. What did she do?"

"She helps traffic people, honey, but I really need to know if you're all right. I'm sorry I wasn't here when they took you into surgery. I'm so sorry I wasn't here when it fell through..."

"Dad, stop," she ordered. She was tearing up again.

"I...I have other news," Jack said. She needed to know this news more than anything anyway.

"What?" she asked.

"I think I've found your mother."

"What?! Where?"

"Kentucky."

"Go get her!"

"I don't want to leave you..."

"I'm fine. Please, bring Mom home," Lindsay begged. Jack looked at her. She was definitely not well, and he knew Sue needed to see her before things got worse.

"Okay," he said finally. "I'll go. I will get Lucy to come stay with you."

"Bring her home," Lindsay whimpered. Jack hugged her fiercely.

"I will."

...

Lucy was on her way to the hospital after getting Jack's phone call. She left Violet with the neighbor, and she knew Victor would be late at work tonight. As she drove to Lindsay, she wondered how she was going to keep it together. The girl was so brave, but Lucy knew that her time was running out. She hoped Jack would hurry.

 **Bobby and Sue are alive! Jack going to get them. I'm going to hospital to sit with Lindsay,** she texted Victor. His response was immediate.

 **That's fantastic! I hope they're all right. Are they close? Will they get to Lindsay in time?**

 **Kentucky apparently. I really hope they make it. I might be late for dinner.**

 **Take as long as you need, babe. I'm just so glad your friends are okay. A celebration is in order! :)**

 **I agree. Talk soon.**

 **Ciao.**

Lucy chuckled to herself. They really would need to do a celebratory dinner of some kind once this was all over. How sweet of Victor to suggest it. It was things like that that made her wonder if he had the potential to be a wonderful person, that she was giving up too soon. She pondered this the whole drive to Lindsay.

...

"If you don't talk, you're going away for life," Myles threatened. Candace just sat there wordless. Myles looked at D. They had no idea how to crack her, and time was running out.

"We don't need her," Tara said, bursting in. "Someone else is giving us what we want."

"Ah," D said, getting her hidden message. He stood up. "Well then, we can put this one away."

"Excellent," Myles said, standing up as well. "Thank you for your time, Candace. Good day. Enjoy life in prison."

"Wait!" Candace shouted, panicking. "What do you need to know?"

"Who is your boss?" Myles demanded.

"I don't know his name..."

"Like hell you don't," Tara snapped.

"I know what he looks like," Candace went on, ignoring her. "I could describe him for you."

"All right. That's a start," Myles agreed. "We'll get someone right in to do that with you." All three left the room then.

"Nice bluff," D complimented Tara.

"Thanks. Figured she'd need a shove," Tara said. "Also, a more important issue has come up."

"What?" Myles asked.

"Bobby and Sue are in Kentucky," Tara blurted. "It's all over the news. Close ups show it's Bobby driving the car."

"I'm here!" Jack shouted. He burst into the hallway. "I'm going to get them."

"But...Lindsay?" Tara asked.

"Lucy's with her. I'm going to get Sue."

"We're going with you," Myles said quickly.

"I'll stay and see who Candace gives as bossman," Tara told them. She hurried off to find the artist to help with that. D, Myles, and Jack quickly got ready to rescue Bobby and Sue. Once Tara had gotten a hold of the FBI artist, she noticed the file on her desk. She opened it, curious. It was DNA from the murder weapon that killed Scotty. She covered her mouth, shaking her head. It couldn't be.

Bobby had shot Scotty.

...

 **2016**

"I'm not sure how long I can take this," Lucy said to Sue. They were at Sue's house. The girls were playing quietly downstairs. Lucy needed to vent. Her therapist was getting the brunt of it, but she needed to hear from a friend too.

"What's going on?" Sue asked, concerned.

"It's Victor. He's been super moody lately, and I can't take it anymore. He gives me the silent treatment and then is all lovey dovey. I never know when he's in a good mood or a bad mood, and he talks to me sometimes like I'm a dog. I don't get it, but I'm sick of it. I'm thinking of leaving the house for a while...maybe permanently," Lucy said.

"I'm so sorry," Sue said, taking her hand. "I had no idea. You can stay with us if you want."

"Thanks. I just...it's so hard. I don't want to lose my marriage, but I can't keep up with this anymore."

"Luce, has he...hurt you?"

"Physically? No. Emotionally? Yes. He even gets a little tight with the money too. I feel like I have an allowance. He hates when I visit friends, and he is always putting me down."

"How long...?"

"Since the beginning, but it wasn't this bad at first. It's only gotten worse as the years have gone on," Lucy sighed. "And he always thinks I'm cheating on him."

"That's terrible."

"Yea, well, I'm starting to think he's got mental health issues. I know I'm starting to get them."

"My door is always open," Sue reassured her. Lucy hugged her then. She couldn't be thankful enough. The new year was on it's way, and with it was going to come some changes.

 **2017**

New Years came and went without anything happening. As the months went along, Lucy became more ashamed of herself. She knew what she needed to do, but she was afraid to. She ran into Myles at the grocery store one day, and he picked up on her distress.

"Is everything okay?" he asked her.

"Yup. Fine," she answered.  
"I don't buy it for one second," Myles said. "Talk to me."

"I can't. If Victor finds out..."

"What? What is he gonna do, Luce? Is he hurting you?" Myles demanded.

"No! He just thinks I'm cheating on him all the time, and you guys texting me isn't helping. Please just don't text me or call me. Look, I'm working on something, and when I'm brave enough, it'll all be over, but for now, just listen to me when I say don't do anything," Lucy said.

"This is ridiculous..." Myles started.

"Don't. Do. Anything," Lucy warned. "I can handle this."

"If you need help, call me," Myles said. "Please."

"I will. For now, I'm working on a plan."

"All right. I can help."

"Later. I gotta get home before I get the third degree," Lucy said, moving past him. Myles felt very worried for her suddenly. He wished there was more that he could do for her.

...

"Bobby?" Tara asked, noticing he was still at his desk. He looked troubled.

"Yea?" he looked up at her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea, yea. I'm fine. Just...tired," he sighed, setting his file down.

"Tough case?"

"Nah. Just doing some reading. Why are you still here?" he asked, changing the subject. He tucked the file away, not wanting her to see it. No one knew he was still working on the trafficking case, and what he found out just then was enough to blow everyone's mind. He needed to tread very, very carefully. That meant not telling anyone his plans.

"I was just finishing up some paperwork then hitting the restaurant for some dinner. You want to join me?" she asked. He looked at her, a small smile on his lips. He wished it was the kind of dinner that led to something more after. She blushed at his gaze. Was he reading her mind that she wanted it to be a real date?

"Yea why not?" Bobby said, snagging his coat off the hook. He shrugged it on as he followed her out. He didn't remember about the file left on his desk.

 **Present-2017**

Sue didn't even care anymore that Bobby was speeding or swapping cars. All she was thinking about was Lindsay. Was her daughter even alive? Bobby had promised to tell her everything that night, and she was going to hold him to it. She needed to know why she was involved in this kidnapping and who was behind it. She knew that Bobby knew. She knew that he was going for the element of surprise in taking the Monster down so that no one else got hurt. She realized that if the team knew they were alive and the Monster knew they all knew, it would go badly for everyone. Sue just wished Bobby would tell her who the Monster was. She struggled to remember the events that took place the day they were kidnapped. Nothing was making sense, and she couldn't get a clear picture of who had knocked her out. When she got home, she was going to get an explanation even if it killed her.

...

Jack hung on to the handle of the helicopter. They were roughly two hours away by flight. It was faster than driving. He had to get to them. He just had to. This whole thing needed to end right now, and he was going to find out who started this whole mess and take them down. He had to keep stopping himself from thinking about Lindsay in that hospital bed looking so small and frail. He was going to bring Sue home, and they were going to get her a heart. End of story. Nobody was going to die on his watch.

...

Tara's head was spinning as she debated telling Jack about Bobby killing Scotty. It just made things more complicated. It explained why he was avoiding law enforcement. He probably assumed they would be arresting him for the murder. Tara knew there had to be an explanation, and she wanted to find it. Before she could do anything, she was summoned to the interrogation room to look at the drawing Candace had described. Tara felt like a zombie as she walked there, but when she took one look at it, she felt even more sick. Candace started screaming about her sister, that she had to save her, that's why she was involved. Tara ignored her and left her for the other agents to deal with. She raced to her desk to make a note for Bobby's file and to contact Jack. He needed to know this one more than Bobby killing Scotty. Then she stiffened. He wasn't the only one who needed to know. She grabbed her keys and went to the hospital, calling Jack along the way. She got Jack's voicemail and left a message for him to call back immediately. She arrived at the hospital, finding Lucy sitting beside Lindsay.

"Aunt Tara," Lindsay said, her voice hoarse. Tara froze. The girl was clearly not well, and she worried that Jack was going to be too late.

"Hi, baby," Tara said. "Can I talk to Aunt Lucy for a moment?"

"Okay," Lindsay nodded. Lucy followed Tara out to the hallway.

"What is it?" she asked. Tara's phone rang then, and she saw it was Jack. She answered it much to Lucy's displeasure.

"What's up?" Jack asked. The roar of the helicopter was deafening in the background.

"The bossman," Tara said, rushed. "It's bad."

"What?!" he shouted, barely hearing her.

"The bossman!" she shouted back, making Lucy jump.

"Who is it?" he yelled.

Tara looked straight at Lucy then.

"It's Victor."

* * *

 **I have been waiting for you guys to find out since I figured out who the villain was gonna be after chapter 3 of my story. I hope it comes as a surprise. I tried to throw you some other potential baddies so you wouldn't automatically make the connection that Victor is the Monster. Two more chapters left, folks.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Don't feel bad for not realizing Victor was the monster. I had a monster in my life too. They're hard to see sometimes.**

* * *

 **Four Days Earlier**

Bobby stared at the file in front of him and knew something was wrong. His note from the day before was gone. Curious, he checked his file on the computer, and it was gone from there too. He tapped his fingers on the desk, wondering where it could have gone and who took it. He looked around. Was he being watched right now? He decided to head down to the restaurant to talk to Scotty. It was the kid who eventually told him about Victor. Bobby had refused to believe it at first, but then Scotty showed him pictures, pictures that were also now missing from his file and from his computer file. Someone had hacked his desk, and he needed answers. When he arrived at the restaurant, he noticed that a different waiter started to serve him.

"Where's Scotty?" Bobby asked.

"He called in sick today," the waiter answered.

"Oh," Bobby said. He didn't add anything else. His mind was racing. Scotty never had any time off. That was one of the big things about being a victim of trafficking. You never had a voice and you never had free time. He got up without ordering anything and went out the door as fast as he could. He almost knocked over someone on his way out.

"Sorry, mate," he said, recovering. Victor looked back at him. Bobby stiffened.

"It's all right," Victor said, brushing off his shirt.

"How are you?" Bobby asked.

"Just fine, thanks. Grabbing a coffee before going to work."

"Great coffee here," Bobby said. He wondered if Victor knew that he knew. They held each others' gaze for a moment before Bobby excused himself. He felt the warning there. He knew his time was running out. He just needed to complete the puzzle before tearing it all apart. He noticed a bunch of missed calls from Howie about half an hour ago. He'd have to call him back later. He thought hard as he drove. He needed to be in Garrett's office in an hour to present his case and arrest Victor, but with no proof, it was going to be impossible to get a warrant for arrest. He decided to visit Scotty at his home. Maybe the kid had more copies of those photos. He really hoped so. The abandoned apartment complex looked extra dreary when he pulled up. When he got out, it started to rain. He knocked hard on the door, and Scotty answered.

"Whoa," Bobby said. "What happened to your face?"

"Look, man, you're in trouble," Scotty stammered. He looked as though he had been crying. "Victor knows you know. He threatened to kill Timmy if I didn't do it."

"Do what?"

"Steal your file information. He hooked me up with an I.D., and I took the stuff I gave you about him out of the file as requested. He also got me a password to your computer. He...he killed Howie."

"He what?!" Bobby shouted, panicking.

"He made me lure him to our meeting place. He made me watch," Scotty sobbed. "As a lesson to learn for what happens when you cross him. Howie scratched my face...I don't know why..."

"To give us the clue to come to you," Bobby reasoned.

"Why not Victor then?"

"He was holding the gun," Bobby explained. At least, that's how it made sense to him anyway. He couldn't ask Howie. He regretted not answering his phone now.

"Man, he's gonna kill you. He's out looking for you right now," Scotty said anxiously. Bobby froze. He had just seen Victor. Then that meant...

"Hello, mate," a voice with a fake accent said. Bobby felt the barrel of the gun touch his temple.

"Victor," he said, turning to see Lucy's husband standing there grinning. "What a pleasant surprise. You really need to work on that accent, though."

"Always one with the jokes," Victor said. His accomplice trained another gun on Bobby while Victor turned to look at Scotty, who was trembling visibly now. "I see you stuck your nose where it doesn't belong."

"If you mean getting involved in stopping you from trafficking innocent kids like Scotty, then yes, I did," Bobby replied. It had taken him almost two years to get information out of Scotty about what happened to him. The kid had been really scared. Bobby felt terrible that he hadn't gotten him and the others out sooner. Victor scoffed.

"It's a business, Bobby. It pays well. How else do you think I keep my wife and child happy, huh? With money from fire fighting? My God you're all so blind," Victor sneered.

"So what are you gonna do now, huh? Kill me? My team will figure it out."

"I have something a little more special for you," Victor said. He turned to Scotty, aiming his gun.

"No," Scotty whimpered.

"I don't keep rats alive," Victor whispered. Bobby shut his eyes just before the gun went off. Scotty's scream would forever stay in his memory, though. He reopened his eyes to see Victor wiping the gun just before he shoved it into Bobby's hand. Bobby tried to react, but the accomplice sharply reminded him that he was still there.

"You're going down for this one," Victor said, tossing the gun down beside Scotty. "Come on, then. One more stop to make." He and his accomplice herded Bobby to his SUV.

"Deal with the car," Victor said to a second accomplice, who nodded. Bobby had a very bad feeling about what was going to happen next.

...

Sue needed sleep. And a shower. She needed to wake up, but there was no escaping this nightmare. Lindsay was waiting for a heart transplant, and by the sounds of it, she wasn't going to be getting one. Dr. Chang tried to be positive and hopeful, but Sue could read his body language and knew that he was riding on the coattails of hope. Her daughter was not going to make it through this. Levi rested his head on her knees as she broke out into sobs. Jack had no idea. He still was in the mindset that everything was going to be all right. Sue knew better. She looked at Levi. She knew he wasn't well either, and it broke her heart. The vet had been very clear that her best friend was only getting sicker, and yet, he still tried to be her comfort and support. After a while, she got up to get some water. Levi never got to her in time before she was attacked from behind and had something shoved in her face. That was the last thing she remembered.

...

"What the hell, man," Bobby said, sitting at Jack and Sue's kitchen table. Victor still had a gun trained to his head.

"Write it," he instructed. "Word for word."

"You're sick, you know that?"

"Hey, it's only fair after the mind control she's been doing with Lucy," Victor snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Bobby demanded.

"She told Lucy to leave me! Yea, you think I wouldn't find that out? I know everything. Only thing is, Lucy didn't leave, so I win. But, Sue will not get away with trying to manipulate my wife. She's gotta go in order for my marriage to survive."

"You're absolutely crazy," Bobby said, staring at him. "Off your bloody rocker."

"Write it!" Victor shouted, his hand shaking. Bobby did so as instructed. He hoped Stewart would be able to decipher that this was forced. The guy was a genius after all. Once he was done, Bobby turned to Victor.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Get up," Victor ordered. "Back to the driveway. Now."

Bobby was thinking fast. He needed to leave another clue, something easily hidden but easily found.

"You know, you can kill me and kill Sue and hurt thousands of children and adults, but you'll always just be the lowest of the low on this Earth, and you'll never amount to anything ever. I hope Lucy leaves you and takes you for everything you have," Bobby sneered. As predicted, this earned him a punch to his mouth, but it wasn't hard enough.

"Shut up!" Victor shrieked.

"You're a lowlife, pond sucking scumbag who has to use violence and control as a way of getting what you want. What kind of man are you?"

Another punch.

"Dirty dog. I hope you get put down," Bobby growled. Victor punched him one more time, and it was enough. Bobby turned from the force and spat out the wad of blood into the bushes for Myles to find. Somehow he just knew it would be Myles.

"Get into the f***ing truck NOW," Victor said through gritted teeth. In his blind rage, he hadn't seen what Bobby had done. Bobby saw the booties covering Victor's shoes. He had to admit, the guy was prepared. Bobby wasn't going down without a fight, though, but he couldn't leave any marks on the pavement. After putting up a ruckus, he was knocked out too. When he woke up hours later, it was to Sue's first scream.

 **Present**

"Victor?" Lucy asked, horrified. She stared at the drawing in Tara's hand. "No. No way."

"It is, Lucy," Tara confirmed. "Victor's the head of the trafficking ring. He's the one behind all of this."

"I can't believe it," Lucy said, sitting down in the chair. She put her head in her hands. Victor was a monster?

"Where is he?" Tara asked urgently.

"I...I don't know. He said he was at work," Lucy replied.

"He's not there," Tara said. "They checked."

"Then...I don't know. Tara, you gotta believe me that I had no idea..."

"Lucy, I know you didn't know. We need to find him. Does he know that Bobby and Sue are in Kentucky?"

"Oh my God," Lucy said, starting to freak out.

"What?" Tara pressed.

"I texted him saying they were alive and in Kentucky," Lucy whispered. She was horrified.

"All right. That's where he's going. We'll get him," Tara promised. She whipped out her phone and called Jack back. Lucy tuned out the conversation. All she could think about was Violet. She had to go and get her daughter and get out of that house. She had to end this now. Without even thinking about Lindsay, she ran out of the hospital to get Violet.

...

"Okay, keep an eye out for Victor," Jack said. "He might be in a fire truck." He couldn't believe it. Lucy's husband was behind all this. Victor was trying to kill his wife and best friend. He wanted that man to pay for all the suffering he caused.

"I knew that guy was bad news," Myles growled.

"We can beat ourselves up all we want, it's not going to help us right now," Jack said.

"Can I punch him? At least once?" Myles asked.

"We'll see," Jack answered. "D, what's our ETA?"

"Be there in about forty minutes," D replied. He was up front with the pilot. He didn't do helicopters so well.

"What's our plan?" Myles asked.

"Hopefully we get Sue and Bobby out of the way before Victor arrives and then take him down," Jack said. "That's the plan."

"I like it."

"Jack?" Tara's voice said.

"Yea?"

"Got a call about a stolen black SUV. Description of the people who took it are of Bobby and Sue. There is a tracking device on it, so I'm sending you the coordinates."

"Thanks, Tara."

They were close. So close.

...

Lindsay started feeling rough. Her heart was laboring very hard, and she knew it wasn't going to hold out much longer.

"Linds?" Tara asked, seeing her face. She had just finished talking to Jack. "You okay?" She had stayed behind after Lucy left. Someone had to be here for the girl.

"Don't feel well," Lindsay managed to say.

"Do you...do you need the doctor?" Tara asked. She went to get up, but Lindsay grabbed her arm.

"No," she whispered. "Please just stay with me."

Tara looked at the girl's frightened face, and she wondered if the time was near. She knew Jack and Sue would never forgive themselves for not being here. Tara felt very afraid suddenly. She didn't want to be the last person Lindsay saw. She needed to see her parents.

...

Lucy packed fast before getting Violet. She threw the essentials into a bag. She didn't care about the rest. She didn't know where Victor was or if he was just going to show up there. Her heart was racing. Then, when she finished, she hurried over to get Violet.

"She was an angel," the neighbor said when Lucy got to the door. Violet hugged Lucy's legs tightly.

"Linds?" she asked. Her meaning was clear.

"She's okay," Lucy answered. Her mind raced. Was she, though? She felt bad suddenly for leaving her alone in the hospital. Then she remembered that Tara was still there.

"Where are we going?" Violet asked, seeing the bags in the car.

"We are leaving Daddy," Lucy explained. "Daddy is a bad man."

"Okay," Violet nodded. Lucy wondered just why Violet didn't put up more of a fuss. She refused to think of her girl getting harmed. Lucy was always watching, and she never left them unattended. That should have been a sign right there that she didn't trust her own husband and should have left long ago. Then she suddenly realized that she had no idea where to go, but she remembered something.

"Myles!" his voice shouted. She could hear the wind and chopper in the background.

"It's me!" she yelled.

"Lucy! Are you okay?!" he hollered.

"I'm fine! Is your offer to help me still on the table?!"

"Yes!"

"Can I stay with you?!"

"Yes! Key is under the plant to the right!" Myles shouted to her.

"I'll be there when you get home!"

"Okay! I'm glad you're safe!"

Lucy hung up, shaking a little. Myles was so quick to let her live with him. He hadn't liked Victor ever, and she couldn't help but think about the conversation she'd had with him recently about Bobby and Sue and noticing that whenever she was around, Myles was so attentive. Had he ever stopped caring about her?

"Mommy?" Violet cut into her thoughts.

"Yea, baby?"

"Are we going to be okay?"

"We're gonna be just fine," Lucy promised.

...

Sue saw the car coming at them the same time Bobby did.

"Hold on!" he shouted. Why couldn't they just catch a break?! He squealed onto a side street, but the car followed. Sue started giving him directions to help shake the guy off. Then, one of their tires blew.

"No, no, NO!" Bobby shouted as they skidded and started to spin. Sue screamed. He grabbed her hand just as the car caught the curb and flipped over. It rolled a few times before coming to a stop on the lawn. Sue was breathing very fast, but Bobby was already into action. He unclipped himself, grabbed his gun, and kicked the door open. The driver was already coming at him, and he fired off a shot that took him down. He could hear sirens.

"We gotta go," he said to Sue. Until he was cleared, he would be arrested for murder, and that couldn't happen right now. He went around to her side and helped her out.

"Are you all right?"

"Shaken, but I'm okay," she told him. "What now?"

"We run," he said, tugging on her arm. They started sprinting for safety. Bobby heard more shots fired behind them. Victor sure had a big crew. Then, he heard the helicopter. He looked up as he ran, and Sue noticed too.

"Who is that?" she shouted. It started to land, and Bobby's worst nightmare was coming true. Victor had flown down to kill them himself. It wasn't enough to have the job done for him or worse, be sold into slavery, which Bobby just realized was Victor's plan all along.

"Get behind me," he ordered, and Sue hid behind his back. He wasn't going to go down without a fight. Then-

"Bobby!" Jack shouted, hopping down from the chopper. Bobby lowered his gun.

"Jack?!" Sue cried, seeing him. "Jack!" She started to run towards him. Bobby caught sight of movement to his left. Another gunman. He aimed and fired. Then another came, and another. It was endless. He fired at them all. Jack had taken Sue's hand and started towards the helicopter.

"Get in the chopper!" Myles shouted at Bobby. He ignored him. It was personal now. Victor tried to ruin everything, and Bobby wasn't going to let him win. A silver truck squealed into view then, and Bobby knew who it was. Victor got out, and Bobby aimed his gun. Victor, however, had his aimed at someone else.

...

It was like slow motion. Jack saw Victor aim his gun, and he didn't even think. He threw himself in front of Sue, knocking them both down. He felt something hit him hard in the back and his neck as they fell, and he grunted. Things felt a little blurry and painful suddenly. He heard more shots and some yelling. He felt Sue's hand on his neck.

"Jack?" she said loudly. "JACK!" Her voice sounded like it was under water. Jack felt his breathing slow. Was this the end? He tried to speak, but no words came out.

"Jack? Jack! No! No, no!" Sue was crying. "Jack!"

"Jack!" Bobby's voice shouted. "Mate! Come on!" Jack felt hands turn him over. He heard Sue's gasp and cry. He mustered all his strength to say one last word.

"Me."

Then it all went dark.

...

Sue twisted her fingers over and over again. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Nothing was as painful as this. Bobby was sitting beside her covered in blood, and Tara was there too, holding his hand. He had refused the nurses' help. He insisted he was fine. He couldn't get the image of Victor's lifeless face out of his mind, though. Sue started to cry again. Bobby grasped her hand in his.

"It'll be all right," he told her. His eyes were wet. She only nodded in return. After what felt like days, the doctor finally came out.

"Sue," he said. "It went perfectly. She's awake, and all is well. You can come in now."

Sue stood on wobbly legs. How she made it into the room, she will never know. Lindsay looked back at her tiredly.

"Hi, baby," Sue said, taking her hand. "How are you?"

"Sore," Lindsay croaked.

"The doctors said it went well," Sue said.

"That's good," Lindsay smiled. She was still a bit out of it from the anesthesia, but she knew her mother would know she was thrilled. Then she noticed her mother was crying.

"What?" Lindsay asked. "I'm all right now."

"I know," Sue replied. She wiped at her eyes furiously.

"Where's Dad?" Lindsay asked. Sue choked. "Mom? Where's Dad?" She felt panicked suddenly.

"Something happened," Sue started. Lindsay struggled to sit up. "No, no. Stay down."

"Where's Dad?" Lindsay asked again, more forceful this time. Sue looked down and then back at her.

"He was killed in the line of duty," Sue told her. "He died saving me." She started to cry harder then. Lindsay was in shock. Her father was dead? How could this be? She had just seen him!

"No," she whimpered. "No!"

"Hey," Bobby said, coming in.

"Uncle Bobby!" Lindsay cried. "D-D-Dad's dead?"

"You told her," Bobby said to Sue, who nodded.

"She kept asking. I couldn't lie," Sue sobbed.

"What happened?" Lindsay demanded through her tears. Bobby sat on the bed and pulled her up into a hug.

"He saved your mother. He acted on instinct. I'm so sorry, love," Bobby said. Lindsay cried harder, and Bobby felt his heart breaking. How was this girl going to survive without Jack? He felt his own eyes burn. Sue eventually took his place, and he slipped out of the room. What he couldn't bear to tell her, and he knew Sue was going to have to, was that Jack had also saved Lindsay's life.

Lindsay's new heart was her father's.

* * *

 **Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! *Hides behind couch* If it helps, I'm bawling over here too. I am SO sorry for such an emotional chapter. It just all fell into place, and he saved his girls like he promised to do. The last chapter is the aftermath and how everyone is dealing with Jack's death. No, it's not a dream. It's real. Have lots of tissues. I know I will. Please don't hate me. Please don't hate this story.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**JeanineJam: Please, please read this chapter!**

 **Guest: Thank you for not flaming me, for your kind words regarding my other stories and about how engaging this one was, and thank you for your honesty. :) I appreciate honesty. I have to be honest, though, and say that there is no particular rule that fanfiction has to be happy stuff, and 90% of my writing is happy stuff as you probably well know, but always being happy is hard. I have to share that this is my outlet, and I do like writing sad material as much as I like reading sad material (sometimes, not always), and in my career, I hear so many bad, horrible, shitty things that sometimes I write sad stuff because it actually helps me process it all and feel better. That might sound super weird, but it's true. I'm very sorry I didn't say in the beginning that this was going to be a sad story to prevent you reading it. HOWEVER, that all being said, I do really, truly hope you will read this chapter.**

 **Evierose: After you read this chapter, I'm curious to see if what you thought you knew and realized was this or something else :)**

 **To other reviewers: Thank you for being encouraging. I'm so sorry I upset you all.**

* * *

Bobby had been cleared of all charges. He had also been given a leave from work. He hadn't gone with D and Myles when they rescued Candace's sister and the other victims. He was done with that case for good. Now, he was sitting in his apartment staring at his suit that he had to put on before going to attend his best friend's funeral. He couldn't do it. How could he accept that Jack was dead? He had failed to save him. He had failed everyone. And to top it off, Lindsay had to deal with the fact that she was carrying her father's heart inside of her chest, something the girl had wept over for hours after Sue had told her. Bobby still couldn't get the whole scene out of his head how Jack shoved Sue down and took those two shots from Victor, how Bobby unloaded his gun on Victor until the man stopped moving, how Sue screamed so hard and long when Jack stopped breathing after his final word he thought he could actually see her heart breaking, the phone call to Jack's phone stating Lindsay was dying, and Jack's final word, "Me," suddenly making sense to all of them. Today was the worst day of his life, and nothing was going to help him get through it.

"Bobby?" Tara's voice called. He looked up, seeing her in the doorway.

"Hey," he said. "How did you...?"

"Your door was unlocked," she said quickly. "And I called five times, but you didn't answer. I was worried."

"I'm trapped inside my own head," he said. "I didn't hear you, sorry."

"It's okay. Can I help?" she asked, sitting down beside him. He sighed heavily.

"I don't even know how you could. I couldn't save Howie, Scotty or Jack. I failed at my job by losing evidence and therefore setting back the arrest of Victor. Sue is forever traumatized now by all this, and I'm sure Lucy is too. And Lindsay..." he trailed off.

"Bobby, you were doing your job. You knew that revealing Victor to anyone would risk him running or worse, hurting everyone else. You did the best you could," she said, taking his hand then.

"Then how come it wasn't good enough?" he asked her. Tara was at a loss for words.

"I...I don't know," she admitted. She got brave, then. "Bobby, I love you. I know you, and I know you did everything you could. Please, be kind to yourself."

"You love me?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes. I...I have for a while."

"Probably not as long as I've loved you," he told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I loved you the day you walked into the office starting your new job. I knew coworkers couldn't date, so I held off. I also met Darcy, and you had Stanley. Then Emily..."

"I had no idea," Tara said, awestruck.

"Well, I figured you wouldn't want to be with an addict like me anyway," Bobby shrugged. "I never brought it up." He turned to look at his suit again.

"We can do this together," she said softly. Her heart was aching too just thinking about how she would have to speak about Jack at his funeral. Bobby stood then, and he took his suit into the bathroom to change. Tara waited for him. When he was ready, they left his apartment together to face the biggest challenge they'd ever face.

...

Lindsay stared at her reflection in the mirror. She felt numb. She could hear her mother downstairs, and she wanted to comfort her just as much as she needed to be comforted herself. She felt her heart beating in her chest.

Her father's heart.

He'd given it to her, his final act of love. Lindsay felt the tears burn again in her eyes. She would have given anything to have him here with her, but she realized that she would probably be dead instead. She had been failing and crashing when she was taken to surgery on the fly. Poor Aunt Tara had been hysterical. Lindsay had been sure she was dying, but then she woke up.

And given the horrible news.

She was grateful her mother was alive, grateful to have her home. They had held each other and cried for hours after Uncle Bobby had told her what happened. That was when her mother told her about the heart.

"You ready?" Sue asked, knocking. Lindsay looked at her.

"I'm not ready for this," she shook her head. Sue teared up quickly.

"I know. I'm not either," she agreed. She went over to hug her daughter. She wished that Jack has been spared. She wished there had been an alternative for Lindsay. That poor girl had to live with the consequences of a monster's decision forever. Sue felt angry inside at Victor then. She wondered how Lucy was doing. They hadn't really seen much of each other since everything had been such a whirlwind. She hoped her friend wasn't embarrassed by what her husband had done. It wasn't her fault.

"I guess we have to," Lindsay signed, still crying too hard to speak. Sue nodded. Together, they went down the stairs, leaning on each other for support.

...

During the funeral, Lucy couldn't stop crying. She blamed herself for not knowing that Victor was so evil. She hated herself for bringing him into their lives all those years ago. She wondered if he had been successful that he'd have come back to hurt her too. She was amazed that he hadn't hurt her more than he had. She felt her heart clench thinking about Violet. Would he have sold her when she reached 13? She shuddered. She had dodged a major bullet. Then she choked. That's exactly what Jack hadn't been able to do. She felt Myles squeeze her hand tightly, and she squeezed back. They had talked a lot since the incident, and she was slowly figuring out that Myles was still in love with her. Whatever that looked like, she knew she needed some time first. Knowing Myles, he'd wait for her as long as he needed to.

...

"That was so hard," Tara sniffed loudly. She and Bobby were the last to leave the church. D and Donna were ahead of them. She saw Donna comforting D as best as she could. Tara didn't think any of them would ever be the same again. Bobby's eyes were very red, and he wasn't talking much. Tara thought back to when she had first seen him after everything. She had been pacing the halls when he had shown up. Sue had been already at the hospital as she'd arrived with...

Tara stopped herself. She still couldn't think of it. She forced the memory of Sue's face out of her mind. Instead, she remembered how she had thrown herself into Bobby's arms, blood and all, and had kissed him so ferociously. That was before Bobby told her Jack was dead. She felt so stupid now for doing that when he was so upset. He'd done his best to reassure her that she couldn't have known and that her kiss meant so much to him. They hadn't gotten to finish that conversation because Sue had been forced to wait in the hall with them until Lindsay's operation was finished.

"I know he's in a better place, but it's not fair that he had to go to start with," Bobby said hoarsely. Tara hugged him tightly. They needed each other, and despite everything, Tara couldn't help but feel slightly grateful that they were going to embark on this journey together.

...

Myles stood watching Lucy stand by the corner beside Sue. It was after the service, and they were attending the reception. By the way they were hugging, it looked as though they were going to be okay. He knew Lucy held a lot of guilt, and he tried to convince her Sue wouldn't blame her, but Lucy was afraid anyway. He'd tell her he told her so later. He also wanted to tell her that he cared about her. He wanted her to know that he would be here for her and Violet no matter what. They were living in his house, and every day he loved the two of them more and more. He'd come to the realization he still loved Lucy a long time ago when she first met Victor. Oh, how he wished he could go back in time and tell her because all of this could have been avoided if he had. He looked down at his hands in front of him. Jack was dead. How on Earth were they ever going to-

 **Present-2007**

"You promised you wouldn't kill me off! That's so mean," Jack said to Sue after getting her attention. He looked over her shoulder, gesturing. She stopped typing and was looking at him.

"What? It's great," she argued. "Besides, it's not really you."

"Does it have to be so heart wrenching? People will hate it."

"It'll sell," Sue told him, smiling. "And I can't help what people will think about it. I'm enjoying writing it."

"Did you have to use all of our names?" he demanded. "I mean, that's too personal."

"It helped me write it. I'm not good at thinking about names. I will change them later," Sue dismissed. "Besides, the characters are based on all of us in a way." Jack sighed. He hated to read about his own death. He shuddered. It was so real. It could actually happen.

"It won't happen," Sue said, reading his mind. She rubbed her pregnant belly slowly.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I just do. For starters, Lucy isn't with anyone named Victor. Will it make you feel better if I told you that I hated writing that you and Howie died? Even Scotty!"

"You said it wasn't really me," Jack pointed out.

"You know what I mean," she huffed.

"Yes. I'd love it if you had me survive and Lindsay had a transplant from someone else. Howie died for a good cause."

"Jack!" she admonished.

"Sorry," he apologized. "You can keep Howie alive too."

"I'll think about it," she winked. "I'm thinking of writing a sequel where Lindsay becomes FBI or CIA herself to avenge her father."

"But, if they're all dead..." Jack started.

"I might let Candace have a bigger part than she let on in the epilogue," Sue winked. He just laughed. At least his wife was enjoying her new hobby of writing. He had to admit, it was a thriller of a novel. He'd feel better when all the names were changed. He bent to give her a kiss. Sometimes he couldn't believe she was his wife, that he'd gotten the nerve to tell her how he felt after she almost left for a new job.

"Don't stay up too late," he warned, heading up the stairs to their bedroom. He heard her typing away, and he knew she was coming up with the perfect ending. He loved her so much. His phone beeped then.

 **Is baby kicking yet?** Bobby asked.

 **Not yet** , Jack wrote back.

 **Damn it. Now I have to take Tara to the opera.**

 **Hahaha. Serves you right for making bets on my baby.**

 **They're not bets. I don't gamble, remember?**

 **Whatever you say.**

 **It's our first wedding anniversary. We made the deal that if the baby was kicking, we do my thing, and if not, we do her thing. Not a bet, just a deal.**

 **It's the same. What was your thing?**

 **I'm not allowed to say. Anyway, thanks to your baby, I now have to sit through awful singing.**

 **Have fun!**

 **Oh I will. I've got Lucy coming with Myles for a double date. HaHA!**

Jack smirked. He wished he could see the look on Myles's face when he finds out what Bobby got him into, but a mental image would have to do. He was glad Myles and Lucy had gotten back together since they never really did stop caring about each other. It had just happened really. Lucy had been struggling with some issues of her own, and Myles was there for her. The rest was history. As for Bobby and Tara, well, those two had eventually figured it out. Needless to say, Stanley didn't stand a chance once Bobby made up his mind he actually did love Tara. Jack turned his phone down and crawled into bed. His friends were happy and he was happy. He had a wife of two years and a baby on the way. He couldn't ask for anything more. Life was good.

 **The End**

* * *

 **That was my final twist of this story! Like I said, it wasn't a dream, just Sue writing a novel ;)**


End file.
